The Angel of Coney Island
by Vamphunterdlover
Summary: Having to flee to America from his past history, Erik finds himself on Coney Island the island of dreams. He then meets Kat, the angel of Coney Island, whom he had met years ago at the Masquerade ball. The mystery of the dancing gypsy princess only increases as the years pass, but can he figure out her past and why she wears a mask before the monster she fears comes to harm her?
1. Prologue

Prologue

The sound of children's laughter was easily heard in the wind as two little girls; both with smiles on their faces ran along the shore of the beach by a small cottage. "Come on, Christine!" said the one that was running ahead of the other, not at all affected by the high wind that was drowned out by the roar of the ocean. "Kathleen! Wait up!" said the other that was called 'Christine', who struggled against the wind.

"Oh!" cried Christine as her red scarf blew off of her shoulders and landed into the sea. "Don't worry Christine I got it!" cried a young boy as he ran into the sea and retrieved Christine's scarf. "I told you to put it on right Chrissie, or else you'll lose it like that!" said the one called Kathleen as she was by her sister holding her close as they both watched the boy fight against the waves to retrieve the scarf. The boy walked towards them holding the red scarf in hand with a smile of triumph on his face. "Just because you got Chris's scarf back doesn't mean you can marry her Raoul!" Kathleen said as she put her hands on her hips looking like an angry mom seeing her child causing trouble. "Maybe so but doesn't it mean that I receive a kiss?" Raoul asked handing the scarf back to Christine who only blushed as Raoul leaned his face to hers waiting for the kiss. "Ha! The only you'll get is a bad cold if we don't go back to papa!" giggled Kathleen knowing her sister was embarrassed by their playful and teasing friend Raoul who only moaned as Kat started to push him towards the cottage, where his nanny was waiting for him with a sour look on her face. "Oh come on Kat!" he moaned as Christine ran after them still holding onto the red scarf that was soaking wet and also cold.

Augustus Daaẽ laughed as he saw his twin daughters come from their little adventure with the young De Changy soaking wet and the look on Mrs. Mancusi, the boy's nanny, was the sourest face he had ever seen. "It seems that master De Changy has got himself into another mishap for today," he said as he sobered his face trying to be the responsible parent in front of the angry and worried nanny. "Oh, master Raoul!" she said practically acting like a mother hen over a baby chick as she wrapped Raoul up in her shawl.

"We are getting you home and have you in a nice warm bed before you catch cold!" she said as she picked the boy up and started carrying him up the pat way to the De Changy mansion. "But I haven't gotten my reward from Christine yet!" he whined as he was carried away. "The only thing you are getting young man is a hot bath and a nice hot soup!" replied Mrs. Mancusi as they were half way up the bath. Augustus led his daughters inside and locked the door before feeding more wood to the fire to help warm the girls up. "So did you two have a fun time in the meadow today?" he asked as he poked the wood that was nearly ash. "Yes, papa," answered Christine as she hung her cloak and wet scarf by the door. "We also got to see a crab on the beach today papa!" added Kathleen as she had finished hanging up her cloak and scarf and started to set the table for supper. Augustus smiled at his daughters as he always did after they told him of their wild adventures in the meadow or on the beach, he was even more glad that no stranger had come upon the girls and kidnap one of them.

After they had their supper and help clean the dishes, the girls listened to their father play on his violin and sing along with the tune. Kathleen letting the music lead her, started to dance as she always did while singing. Christine would slowly join in and dance with her twin, looking like angels as they twirled around to the sound of their papa's violin.

These happy moments have always been the brightest of their lives as they knew their mama would be looking down at them and smiling as they make music that one would only call heavenly. The girls' voices were like of angels and their dancing was like they were part of the wind, and Augustus couldn't have been more bless nor happy then having his two girls creating music as was this family's dream even before they were born. As was what Augustus planned as he was getting an audition to play for the Paris opera house that was a week's travel from their home. The only thing he was worried about was leaving his girls alone with the De Changy's as Mrs. Mancusi had promised him today. He respected the family no doubt but he couldn't help but have a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

-

**Author's note:** Here is the prologue to my new fan fic of Love never dies. It can also be my phantom of the opera fan fic. Anyway I hope you like how I started off this story. I know there are going to be alot of people that might like this version then love never dies. (I like it but I hate the plot.)

Feel free to give me comments! I would like your opinion!

(p.s. I started writing this story since June of 2011 and I am already wrote up to chapter 16, working on 17. I posted this story on my DA account where another of my works came from. If you would like to check it out let me know, but I promise to get the other chapters on here as soon as possible!)


	2. Chapter 1

The Angel of Coney Island.

Chapter 1

Augustus Daaẽ waved at his daughters as he rode on their grey stallion to Paris to audition for the Paris opera house. "Take care while I am gone!" he called out to them. "We will papa!" shouted Christine as she jumped waving at him. "We'll pray to the angels for you!" shouted Kathleen who waved at him as well. Augustus smiled and waved at them one last time before urging his horse to a full gallop wanting to get to the audition and back to his daughters.

The girls stopped waving as soon as they saw their father was gone. "Well," said Mrs. Mancusi as she rested her hands on the girls' shoulders. "How about we head to the garden and help out Mr. Stark with his roses?" she asked as she lead the girls to the mansion. "He told me he needed some help on picking out which flowers pick for lady De Changy's lounge," she added. "Can we really help him?" asked Kathleen as they were half way to the garden. "Will Raoul be helping too?" asked Christine lightly blushing. "Afraid not dearie," Mrs. Mancusi answered shaking her head. "Unlike you two, Master Raoul has lessons to attend to today," she explained to them when they were a few feet away from Mr. Stark the gardener who was just getting done pulling the weeds out.

Three days had passed since their father had left and the girls were already wondering if their papa had gotten to Paris safe and sound. Kathleen was softly humming a song she had created herself once or twice singing a bit of it or two trying to keep her sister and Raoul cheered up. "_Angel of music, play your song…let us sing your melodies…_" she sang softly. "_Angel of music, let us be the voice of harmony…_" she added before humming again. Christine smiled as she had enjoyed her sister's singing, she knew she can sing as wonderful as Kat, but she always felt more better when Kat singed. She then had a sad face as she then thought of their papa at the Paris opera house…

"I'm sure he is safe and sound," said Raoul as he picked a wild flower in the meadow they were playing in. "You think so Raoul?" said Christine as she waited for her sister to finish braiding her hair and putting flowers in her hair. "Papa might have gotten the job already and is heading back to come and takes us to Paris," Kathleen said happily as she put another lilac in her twin's hair. "Yeah and I will marry little lotte!" Raoul teased as Kat was done braiding her sister's hair.

"If she married you Raoul, you would gamble her away just like you'd gamble your toys away!" shouted Kat as she got up and put her hands on her hips. "No way!" said Raoul as he started to stand up and stretch. "I would never do such a horrible thing to an angel like your twin," he said as he walked to them with a sweet smile on his face. "And what makes you think I would marry you anyway Raoul?" Christine as she got up and threw the remaining flowers into Raoul's face before she and Kat ran in chase knowing their little game of tag as was what the enjoyed playing with Raoul.

Kathleen had ran separate from her twin and hid into a tree waiting for Raoul to catch up with her. "There is no way he can catch me!" she giggled as she hid deep in the tree. She sat down ready to jump out and surprise Raoul.

An hour passed and then suddenly the sound of thunder boomed in the woods. "I hope it won't really rain…" she whispered to herself as she slowly peeked out to see if Raoul or Christine were near by…they weren't. Kat looked around and stepped out of her hiding spot feeling the wind pick up and another boom of thunder echoed again. She was starting to wonder if she should start trying to head back or go look for her sister and Raoul. She didn't have much time to decide as she was suddenly in a black cloak lightly screaming as she felt someone pick her up. Kat fought will all the strength she had as she screamed for help. "Let me go! Help! Help!" she cried.

Raoul and Christine were running back to the house calling for Mrs. Mancusi to call the police and get the servants to help Kathleen for she was taken by a stranger. Mrs. Mancusi shocked and panicked that Kathleen was in danger started to shout to the household and called the police to hurry over and send a search team to help and find Kathleen.

Eleven days passed on by for Augustus Daaẽ as he rode in a fast pace on his horse. Eagerly wanting to tell his girls that he had gotten the job and that they could leave any time this week or today if they wished. But when he got to the mansion and Mrs. Mancusi saw him, the look of sadness and heart break appeared on her face. Which resulted making his stomach turn and his heart stop beating….

"What is it Mrs. Mancusi?" he asked his voice slightly breaking off as fear started to creep up on his spine. Mrs. Mancusi looked at him with sadness deeply reflected in her eyes as her hands tightened on her handkerchief. "Augustus…I'm so sorry…" she started to say her voice cracking as she was starting to cry. "Eleven days ago Kathleen was taken by someone…." she continued. Augustus shook his head slowly, feeling his heart breaking…he started to fall slowly to the floor softly crying for his daughter that was snatched away from him at the most precious time when their dreams were going to start becoming real.

**Author's** **note:**Finally I got chapter 1 done! It was difficult for me to plan out how and when Kat should be kidnapped.

I would like to point out that I named Mr. Stark in this story after my favorite history teach in high school who had passed away in 2010. I will miss him terribly as he made history class fun to learn.

And to point out a few other things in this bit:

1.) That little bit Kat had sung will be a full song later in the story.

2.) Kathleen is my OC (if some were wondering about her) and we will be going through the story through her.

(Hope you like it and keep on reading!)


	3. Chapter 2

The Angel of Coney Island.

Chapter 2

10 years later

Kat stared out the window as she stared at the view of the forest, admiring the sunlight and beauty of spring time. Soon it would be her birthday in a month and Gunner, the one who had taken care of her for ten years, was going to the opera this season as well as the Masquerade party as he always did every year. The opera would be on her birthday and she had longed to go and see one ever since she was little. And also wanted to go to the masquerade as well. But there was only one little problem; Kathleen was forbidden to go outside… Since she was told that she had a deformed face and people would have tried to kill her.

As was why her family and friends never looked for her or try to help her when she called for help. She wore a mask that covered half of her face to make sure no one would hurt her or be horrified of her ugliness. But that never stopped her dreaming of performing on the stage as she had with her father and sister.

"But it will be easy to go with you to the masquerade since I always wear a mask!" she had told him the day before yesterday as he was packing for the journey. "I know child, but many people will be asking who you are and want to take you're your mask off as well," he said as he walked up to her putting his hands on her should like a father would. "And then they will laugh at you or worse…" he added cupping her face gently. Kat made a soft groan and walked towards the window with her arms folded; feeling like she will never be able to have fun in her life. Gunner walked up behind her and again rested his hands on her shoulders. "_Stay inside child...Stay where you are safe. Stay in the shadows,_" he began to softly sing to her, know singing would calm her down. "_Don't go out into the light where people will shun you. Keep away and hide from the cruelty of the world_," he added on.

Turning her to face him, with one arm wrapped around her shoulders, as he led her to a chair that was in the room. "_You are goodness and light, even though the lord never blessed you with an angel's face, but you are gifted with your voice and dance,_" he sang as he gently pushed her into the chair, holding her shoulders again. "_But be careful dear, for Once evil finds goodness and light it destroys it with its grasp. So stay inside child...Stay where you are safe,_" he sang gently cupping her cheek in one hand looking at her serious._ "Stay in the shadows."_

Kat sighed sadly looked down to her hands in her lap before she too sang along feeling a bit better when she did so. "_You have kept me, raised me as your own..._" she sang before shaking her face. "_Without you I would have been alone and unloved... Thanks to the hidiousy of my face_!" she sang with a sad expression as she stood up and walked to the corner of the room. "_I must stay inside... I must hide away... I must keep my face hidden from the world!_" she sang as she as walked. "_I'll stay inside... I'll stay where I am safe... I'll stay in the shadows..._" she said as she crossed her arms and having her head facing to the floor, hating the pain in her heart that always came when she thought of coming to the outside world and how terrible they would treat her when they saw her face.

Gunner walked to her holding like a father would his daughter. "_Stay inside child...Stay where you are safe,_" he sang softly to her. "_Stay in the shadows…_" Kat and Gunner singed together as they ended the little song. Gunner pecked her head gently. "Don't worry my rose," he said hugging her tight. "I promise that I will take you to see the opera for your birthday," he said to her with a smile, knowing that she will listen to him if he told her that. And also knew no one will be paying attention to her as they will be focused too much on her twin being the understudy to the diva Carlotta, and if she will taking over that cow's place this season or not.

"You will?!" she asked turning to face him with a very big smile on her face. He softly laughed at her quick reaction. Nodding his head 'yes' to her question he replied, "Well I need to do something for your birthday, and this one will be when you become a lady as well," he said before he sighed.

"And to think it was just ten years ago that you were a little thing." Kat giggled before gently punching his arm. "Well you can't expect me to stay young forever can you?" she said still giggling. He smirked at her. "No, I can't." Gunner rested his hand on Kat's head as he looked at her with a father's love. "Soon my dear you will be like a bird leaving the nest for its first flight…" he said with a smile. Kat shook her head. "Yes soon but not today," she said before heading to the stove to cook supper for them.

Gunner smirked evilly at her as he silently agreed with her. _"Yes, definitely not today," _he thought to himself as he remembered how well he planned out on taking the girl when she was young and planting the idea that she was deformed as well as her family leaving her behind cause of it. The only thing that worried him was that the girl would get onto his lie and start running off to find her sister, who was the only one left alive. Too bad her real father didn't know that his second daughter was taken by someone who had a grudge against him since Kat's father had taken his first love away, who Kat herself closely resembled the most out of the twins. This was why he didn't kill Kat.

Not unless she forced him to…

**Author's** **note:** The first song I wrote out was called 'Stay in the shadows" which is like the frollo and quasimodi song moment. I also had a long time thinking up gunner's name before I chose it. I hope I gave off a good feel and did a good with my first song.

Give me comments! And hope you all can't wait for more!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kat was finishing up another dress for herself while she waited for Gunner to return from the masque. She had hated that he had talked her out of wanting to go but he had promised her to take her to the opera for her birthday. So she counted her blessings that he would let her out somewhere else other than this house that was close in the city and across the street from the opera house. Kat sighed as she finished her dress and started to fold it up knowing that she would have another dress among her other three that she made for herself when she dances. Feeling sad and wanting to do something other than sit around, she decided to wear one of her dresses and dance outside among the other people.

"Gunner may have said I couldn't go to the masque, but he didn't say that I could be with the people outside the opera house…" she said as she started to change into her dress. She looked at herself and smiled proudly at how wonderful her dress appeared on her. "I can blend in with the crowd of the Masque easily in this!" she said to herself before she snuck outside and joined the crowd of masked Parisians.

Kathleen buzzed through the crowd as easy as going down a stream of water, making it very easy to get into the Masquerade. All the masked people were dancing and singing as they celebrated the wonderful holiday that Kat grew to love. Kat hid in the shadows of the main stairwell where everyone was doing the most dancing and singing. "This is amazing!" Kat thought as she got to the upper level and got a better view of the crowd from a balcony. Then she spotted Gunner talking to a man dressed as a ram, and another man as a rooster. Kat ran back into the shadows of the balcony and headed a stair way close to them but wanted to not get caught. Suddenly Kat was in a good hiding spot breathing heavily as she was holding her breath and also going as fast as she could to not be seen by Gunner. "Excuse me mademoiselle, but may I have the honor of a dance with you?" asked a voice that came from out of nowhere.

She looked up to see a man covered in red attire with a red cloak that nearly hid him inside and he had a skeleton mask on which covered half of his face. To her she was the handsomest man she ever met or seen. "Or perhaps you are afraid that Red Death will steal your soul?" he added as she didn't answer him for a minute.

Kat smiled at him. "Mousier, I would have no need to be afraid of Red Death for my face hidden in this mask would make him repulse at the sight of me," she said to him looking directly into his eyes that seemed to enchanting her, and she enjoyed every minute looking at them. To her, it was as if he would understand her better than anyone else. Funny thing was she couldn't put her finger on why that was so. "I doubt that very much mademoiselle," he said to her, his voice as enchanting as his eyes as he smirked at her and offered her his hand which showed he wore a black leather glove that matched perfectly with his costume.

Kat felt herself lightly blush as she took his hand and he started to lead her downstairs to the main hall, the odd thing Kat kept noticing was that he not only kept looking somewhere as if looking for someone, but also tried his best to keep his red cloak hiding him. They both made it to the dance floor and she stepped into place for the waltz that was about to start. "I should warn you mademoiselle, I am not a very good dancer," he said as he took her hand and put his hand on her waist. She smiled at him, not at all upset about the little matter. "Don't worry Mousier, for I am an angel of dance as well as angel of music," she replied as the waltz started. He started to lead her into the waltz as she made it easy for him to do. "So are you an angel then?" he asked as they danced. "I am in a way," Kat answered him before he spun her three times. "What do you mean?" he asked sounding either confused or interested. "I am an angel but I don't have an angel's face, and my own sister and father abandoned me when I was young cause of it," she said to him feeling a bit surprised that she would talking about her face to a stranger she had just met.

"So you are a tragic angel abandoned by your own flesh and blood," he said as he twirled with her around the dance floor. "Just like me," she heard him whisper before dipping her to the side as required in the dance. Kat was surprised and wanted to ask him if it was true but thought it would be better to ask him another time, as it must be a painful subject for him to talk about as it was for her.

They both danced three more times, enjoying each other's company and the Masque. Kat had started telling the stranger a bit more about herself, such as her dream of being a singer and dancer as her father inspired her to do since he was a violinist. "In fact my guardian is planning on taking me to see the opera for my birthday this year," she told him as he twirled with her in their final dance. "Oh really?" he asked with a surprised expression. "Yes," Kat said with a happy smile.

Kat then just realized something, she was talking all about herself but the man with her never said a single thing about himself. "By the way, what is your name monsieur?" she asked him as they finished the last dance and he led her to a shadowed part of the stair way where no one could see them. "You will know soon enough," he replied taking her hand and moved it close to his lips but didn't kiss them yet. "And what is your name angel?" he asked looking straight at her as his lips hovered over her hand. Kat lightly blushed at the way he looked at her. "My name is Kathleen…" she replied with a shy smile. Dark fire seemed to ignite in his eyes as he heard her name. "Kathleen…" he said as if savoring her name before kissing her hand.

"I will remember your name mademoiselle," he said to her as he looked directly into her eyes. Kat looked at him feeling as if he was about to say good-bye to her. The strange man cupped her cheek in one hand as he smiled at her. "And I hope you have a good birthday, as well as enjoy the opera that will be performed on the same day," he added as his thumb brushed her cheek gently. Kat savored his touch on her cheek, even though she felt a leather glove on her skin, this man was the first to have not only run from her but also touch her.

Not even Gunner made her feel like this, like she was a normal person…a normal and beautiful person. "Will you be there…?" Kat asked softly before she realized that she said it aloud. The stranger smiled at her. "I plan to," he replied with a smile that Kat felt he had more then what he was admitting.

"Raoul think of it, a secret engagement!" said a female voice that came close to where Kat and the masked stranger were. Kat felt the whole room go to complete silence as she slowly turning to see who the woman was and silently prayed she now just started to imagine things. "Please God… Please…" Kat thought in her mind as she spotted the woman and the man that was with her. Kat's eyes widened as she saw who the couple was and felt her heart stop beating as she saw the two people she thought she would possibly never see again in her life… It was Raoul and Christine!

"But why is it secret? What do we have to hide?" Raoul asked before he tried to kiss her. "Raoul, please don't! They'll see!" Christine said moving her face away, resisting Raoul's kiss. "Well let them see! It's an engagement not a crime! Christine what are you afraid of?" he asked before leading her into the dance floor and waltz with him softly singing, but Kat couldn't hear what they were saying for she was leaning against the wall staring at them in shock. Kat then remembered the masked stranger and looked back at where he was but found him gone.

"Where did he go?" she whispered surprised that he left without her noticing. She looked back at her twin sister and Raoul, she gasped covering her mouth as she saw them kiss. Then Kat glanced at the stair case seeing the guest start to dance on the stair way still singing the holiday song, rose pedals fell from the balconies as they performed it. Suddenly all the lights in the room began to darken and everyone looked around wondering what was going on. And then people gasped as they moved away from someone at the top of the stair case…it was the masked man that Kat was with before! Kat then glanced at the stair case and saw gunner by the men he was talking to before. "I better go back home before Gunner sees me here!" Kat thought to herself before she ran out of the opera house and back to her home.

-

**Author's note: **Here's chapter three of my fan fic! I had a little problem with if I should have Kat go to the masquerade or not. And yesterday I thought I should go with it and I typed this chapter out like a maniac till nearly three in the morning! That was a rush!

I also would point out I sort of had no choice to put the masquerade scene on the stairs from the movie cause I had no other way to think up a better entrance for Erik to make his entrance as the phantom for everyone else in the story. (and also it wouldn't be the same without it you know?)

And if you didn't figure out who the stranger who dances with Kat is, its Erik! I also had a little battle with how Kat and Erik should meet, such as should they first meet at the masquerade, or have Kat meet him for the first time when the Don Juan triumphant performance (point of no return bit is what I am referring to.)

I didn't originally plan on Christine and Raoul coming in this bit but I realized I had no other way for Kat to know they both were in Paris, I won't give away what my idea is either! (Not going to give a spoiler there!)

If you guys are wondering who the rooster and ram are, you should know from the movie of Webbers musical. (That was a hint for those that never saw it.)

Anyway I hope you like this chapter and can't wait for more of my story!  
Comments please! They are what keep me going!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kat ran as fast as she could back to the house without bumping or tripping anyone. As soon as she got into the house she quickly pulled her tub out, got a few buckets of water for the small tub and quickly stripped her clothes off before washing herself clean so that her sweat or other smells couldn't hint to Gunner that she didn't stay at home. After washing her hair and face she got out of the tub and quickly dried herself off and put her night gown and robe on before cleaning out the tub of the bubbled water onto the alley behind the house. "I hope that Gunner won't be home till later tonight…" Kat whispered to herself as she cleaned up the floor, her shoes, and her angel dress she wore to the party before hiding the dress away in her travel bag that she received from a gypsy fortuneteller she met close to the Church of Notre Dame. As Kat brushed her hair, her mind kept going back to the strange masked man that was dressed as the Red Death at the Masquerade. How he danced with her and the way he talked with her… Kat then giggled like a silly girl in love. "Yeah right, like me and him would fall in love with each other at first sight like in fairy tales!" she thought to herself as she braided her hair for the night. As Kat picked up her mask she looked at it with a frown as the memories of Christine and Raoul flashed in her mind. She felt a pain in her heart to see the two of them together…

A knock came at the front door and Kat nearly yelped in surprise before quickly putting her mask on before running to the door to see through the eye whole who it was… It was Gunner. She unlocked the door and let him in before shutting and locking it again.

"How was the Masquerade?" she asked as she locked the door. Gunner was taking off his cloak and mask setting them on the table. "It was wonderful until that monster showed up and ruined everything," he replied as he went into his room and grabbed out his night shirt. "Monster?" Kat asked as she picked up the mask and hung up the cloak on the coat rack. "Yes," Gunner answered as he took his boots off as he sat down on his bed.

"A monster, or as everyone else refers him as the opera ghost," he added as he stripped naked and put on his night shirt. "The Phantom of the opera was there?!" Kat asked surprised as the image the man dressed as Red Death appeared in her mind. "He was the opera ghost I heard so much about?!" Kat thought as she walked to put the mask away in the closet by Gunner's bedroom door. "I thought you told me he was gone," she added as she waited for him to allow her inside so she could put his clothes in the dirty laundry as was one of her chores. "Yes, we all thought he was finally and truly dead but the bastard showed up in the middle of the party," he said as he started to put a fresh pair of underwear on. "And demanded that we perform his opera he written and made a lot of instructions for us before…!" Gunner stopped before he spilled out that the phantom was acting very demanding around Kat's twin sister Christine. "Before what?" Kat asked when she slowly opened the door and peaked seeing he wasn't nude; she walked in and picked up his clothes. "Before he disappeared as fast as he appeared right on the stair way," Gunner finished, lying to Kat and not wanting her to know the truth of what really happened that moment. "Really?" Kat said sounding surprised as she walked to him since he was close to the door way. "Oh I wish I was there to see it!" she said acting like a child who missed out on seeing something amazing.

Gunner only smirked at Kat's reaction. "Well you are going to have to be prepared to see a lot of policemen there, cause after what happened to that fellow Buquet I don't think that the managers are going to want the ghost around for very much longer," he said as he went to his bed. Kat frowned at what gunner said. "I think that man had it coming if you ask me," she said with a pout. "Why would you say that?" Gunner asked as he got under the covers of his bed. "Cause that man kept peeping on the ballerinas and also kept talking about the ghost all the time as well as scaring them too!" Kat replied as she took hold of the doorknob. Gunner laughed at her answer. "When you put it like I guess I wouldn't like someone talking about me all the time, especially since when some of the things they say aren't true," Gunner said as he stopped laughing.

Kat rolled her eyes before looking at Gunner. "Good night Gunner, and hopefully you will tell me more about the phantom tomorrow," she said before slowly shutting the door. "Good night Kathleen," Gunner replied before getting deeper into his bed and slowly fell asleep.

Kat sighed softly with relief as she walked with Gunner's costume and put it in the laundry basket outside his room. "Thank God he didn't suspect a thing!" she thought to herself as she walked to her room and shut her door. Leaning against the door she thought back on what she had just learned of the masked Red Death she met before. "So he was the phantom…" she whispered softly to herself as an image of him appeared in her mind. "If he is a monster as Gunner says then why was he nice to me…?" she asked herself. Then she remembered what he whispered when she had said about her father and sister abandoning her… "Just like me…" his voice echoed as she remembered his words. "So he was abandoned as a child by his family too…" she said softly sounding sad and hurt for the man who had for once in her life made her feel like a normal person. Kat untied her mask off and rubbed her face as tears began to fall from her eyes. "At least he wasn't betrayed by his family…" Kat softly sniffed as she walked to her bed and put her mask on the night stand by her bed. "Maybe he will be there for the opera since he knows that it will be on my birthday…" she whispered as she got into her bed.

"I hope he will be there…" she whispered as she rested her head on her pillow. "I want to see him again…" Kat mumbled sleepily before she fell asleep, slowly starting to dream of the phantom and her dancing as they did during the Masquerade.

The next month after the Masque, Kat was getting her best dress she made herself for tonight out and ready to be put on as she was getting ready for the opera. According to what Gunner had told her the phantom was suspected to be there that evening since it was his opera that was being performed. "I bet he made a fantastic opera!" Kat lightly squealed in eagerness as she changed into her dress. "I hope he doesn't get caught by the policemen…" she thought to herself as she brushed her hair and braided it up making her gorgeous in her unique light pink dress with a dark pink veil that she tied around her waist for a belt for the gown. Kat then placed her white mask she usually wore and put two roses Gunner bought for her as a small resent in her hair to make her look more like a beauty then she ever thought she would be.

"I only hope I won't attract too much attention…" she said to herself before she put on her cloak that hid her very well. "Otherwise I will be mistaken for the phantom himself…" she softly whispered before grabbing the key to the house and hid it in her cloak's secret pocket she made herself since Gunner made her do chores since he wasn't always around due to the phantom's opera. Gunner knocked on her bedroom door alerting her that he was here to pick her up. "Coming!" Kat said as she walked to her door and opened it to see Gunner outside looking at her jaw dropped. "My! If we didn't suspect the phantom coming tonight, I would highly suspect that he would appear just to see the lovely vision you are my dear girl!" Gunner said as he softly chuckled and smiled at her beauty and how damn close she was to her twin who was playing the lead role tonight. "Maybe I can try to use Kathleen as bait if the phantom slips through the trap the Viscount, Andre and Firmin set up with the police tonight," Gunner thought to himself before taking Kat's hand. "We better hurry, the police will arrive soon and will start to wonder who you are if we arrive late," he said as he lead her out of the house and quickly locked the door. "Where will I be watching the opera?" Kat asked as Gunner lead Kathleen through the stables which were empty since everyone was busy with the opera tonight. "You will be watching from box four which I asked the managers to have empty for us as I told them I was having a special friend coming here for their birthday," Gunner said smirking as he lead Kat to the box that was opposite of Box five that gunner had told Kat was the very box the phantom himself would occupy while watching other operas that were performed here for the past three years.

While on the way to the box Kat took quick glances around of the backstage area of the opera house that Kat had dreamed of seeing when she would be able to sing and dance on the stage. She couldn't believe how many people worked here or how wonderful every looked in their costumes for tonight's opera. Kat spotted Christine with Raoul again, this time though she seemed stressed about something. Like she was terrified to perform… "She must be getting the stage fright or butterflies in the stomach feeling since this is possibly her first time doing a lead role…" Kat thought as Gunner finally got her to the box that was reserved for her.

Kat couldn't believe the beauty of the small room that she was going to be in to watch the opera. "This is like a room fit for a king!" she whispered softly as she gently felt the wallpaper. Gunner smirked at her excitement. "Only the best for the rich to come in and relax for such events as this," he said as he rested a hand on Kat's shoulder.

"But be careful to not be seen for if the police spot you or anyone else, it will be big trouble for us all," he added making sure Kathleen knew that this was a very big risk coming here and especially on this night of all nights when there was going to be police everywhere. Kat looked at him and nodded her head as she understood the danger in coming here. "I know I'll keep hidden in the shadows of this box until it is safe for me to leave," Kat said to him with a reassuring smile. "Good," Gunner said with a soft sigh of relief. Then Gunner smiled at her and gave her a fatherly hug. "And happy birthday Kathleen," he said softly. "And thank you for taking me here for it," Kat said returning the hug. "My pleasure," he said with a smile before releasing her from his hug.

"Better get going before every one wonders where you are," Kat said with a teasing smirk. Gunner only softly chuckled. "True, they can't get this show on without me can they?" he said before leaving the room and shutting the door. Kat took a breath to help shake off the nervousness of being in here by herself alone. Kat slowly took off her cloak and hung it on the coat rack that was by the door. Suddenly Kat felt like someone was watching her. She turned around and looked to see if anyone had spotted her, but oddly enough there was no one around. "Must be my imagination," she softly whispered to herself as she took a chair that was good enough to have her not only hear and see the opera but also to be hidden a bit when the lights go out when the opera starts. Kat looked across to box five where she then remembered about the phantom 'haunting' that particular box. "I wonder if he will be inside there…" she thought to herself before looking at the stage where she could see that the conductor was starting to get ready to start the show.

"So gents let's get this show going shall we?" said Gunner as he began to get to his regular spot as he was one of the stage hands here at the opera. "Where have you been Gunner?!" asked one of the other stage hands. "Oh nothing much, just brought my ward here to see the opera for her birthday is all," Gunner replied as he checked to see the background for the first scene of the opera was in place. "Ha-ha! You brought that girl Kathleen here? Boy! We better hope the phantom doesn't see her here or else he might get upset and cause another accident like last time!" one of the other stage hands said softly chuckling before going up the ladder to the catwalk. Gunner softly chuckled at the man's joke. "I seriously doubt that the phantom will be going to see my ward, he will be too focused on tonight's performance of his opera then to go to her," he said before following the young man to get up on the catwalk. "Where is she may I ask?" someone asked him.

Gunner smirked. "She is in box four, opposite of the phantom's private box," Gunner replied as he checked the second backdrop for the show to see if it was in place. "What did you say Gunner?" asked the young man that was up on the catwalk with him. Gunner looked at him confused. "Didn't you just ask me something?" he asked. "No, I didn't say anything," the young man replied before getting ready to pull the curtains open for the show to start. Gunner slowly looked up as he noticed the catwalk above the stage where Joseph Buquet was hanged by the Punjab lasso, was moving back and forth as if someone was just there and ran off it…

Moments later Kat felt like she was being watched again and looked behind her to see if anyone had snuck into the box and was trying to spook her. There was no one there. "I must be getting nervous like everyone here…" Kat whispered before looking back at the stage. "Either that or I am getting eager since this is my very first opera to see," she added before she heard the music started to play making Kat get excited and happy at the same time. Unaware that someone from the shadows in box five was looking right at her before leaving to go and participate in his opera. Kat noticed there was movement from box five but ignored it, as the music of the opera was starting.

A few minutes into the opera was amused and amazed at the performance and the plot of it almost made her laugh. But when she saw her twin sister appear onto the stage singing what she now figured as the leading role in the opera Kat could only feel envy for her twin for being able to sing on the stage. She know she should feel hatred to her sister but she couldn't help for feeling proud of her as she heard her sing and watch her play the part of an innocent girl in love. Another image of the phantom flashed in Kat's mind and she felt herself blush. "I have to stop thinking of him!" Kat shouted at herself as she shook her head quickly before she missed any more of her sister's performance. She then looked at where the 'Don Juan' had disappeared behind the curtain and then saw him come out covering his lower face like he wanted to be hidden from everyone. But when he sang she recognized the familiar sound of his voice as he talked to the passarino to go away. "It's him…The phantom of the opera…" Kat softly whispered as she stared at him. "He really did come…" she added as the phantom began to slowly move to Christine and started to softly sing to her.

Kat felt her heart starting to pound of its own accord as she listened to the phantom's voice as he sang his opera song. As if his voice had enchanted her, which it was. And when he saw how he moved on the stage, she felt a singing and a fire in her veins; she started wondering if he was having the same effect on her sister as he was on her. Kat could also swear that when he had his arms around her sister, he felt his arms around her…as if he was either torturing or seducing her with only his voice and movements as he performed with her twin.

She was almost grateful to him as when he stopped, although she loved hearing him sing but if she didn't get her heart in control again she feared she wasn't going to be able to withhold the urge to sing along with him which would draw attention to her. But it was so hard to resist the urge, even when Kat had her hands tighten on the arms of the chair to help her fight it. Christine then began to sing back to him and Kat felt herself almost wanting to throw the chair at her sister for she wanted to hear the phantom sing some more, but she again fought that urge and watched them some more. She started to wonder if the phantom had something for Christine judging by the way he was looking at her as she sang. Kat noticed that her sister had glanced up at one of the boxes before her sister turned to look at the phantom. She looked in the same direction and knew that it was Raoul that she was looking at. "He must have but her up to this, performing the leading role with her as bait for the phantom to come here…" Kat thought to herself as she gave Raoul an evil and hating stare. Boy did she hate more than she ever did before.

Kat the looked back at her sister and the phantom, she couldn't help but wonder if her sister knew it was the phantom she was singing with and not another performer here in the opera house. She soon found out as her sister had a scared expression on her face and tried to run offstage but the phantom stopped her and pulled her with him to the center of the stage. Kat stood up as her sister pushed the hood of his black cloak and revealed what he was really like without being dressed as the red Death. He wore a mask that covered half of his face and he appeared quite handsome to Kat's eyes, she wondered why everyone was afraid of him. Then he began to sing softly and he looked at her with longing as was the impression he was giving with the way he acted towards her.

Like a shy boy trying to talk to a pretty girl he knew he had no chance of impressing or winning her affections. Kat felt her heart slowly breaking as she listened to him and wanted to go to him, to help soothe him as he has soothed her at the night of the masquerade. Then when Christine took his mask off Kat felt her heart hurt even more as she said the pain reflected on his deformed face and the sound of his cry before he took off with Christine and disappeared.

Kat cried for him to wait, but it was drowned out by someone's scream from backstage. She found herself crying softly before gunner came in and took her away just as the phantom had took Christine away.

**Author's note:** Here is my fourth chapter of my fan fic! And finally Kat gets to see the phantom unmasked! I had been taking horse riding lessons this summer, (and have one today/tomorrow depending on what time you guys are reading this chapter.), and I am a fast learner! (Not easy as it appears in the movies I tell ya!)

Anyway this bit is when Kat hears our phantom sing for the first time and is seduced with his voice. (which ironically happens to me ever time I either hear Ramin sing from Love never Dies, or Gerald butler in the movie. Which was how I reacted after seeing the movie for the first time!) And hell what woman wouldn't be seduced or nearly passing out at the phantom singing?

Also Kat's dress that she wears was hard to describe, and I can't use a doll model dress up like I did with my mina from my Dracula fan fic. (I tried before describing and didn't turn out as I visioned it to be. _)


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Four months had passed since that night and Kat couldn't get a good night's sleep, for she kept worrying about the phantom. She had been told by Gunner and what she had read in the paper that the phantom took Christine to her lair and that Raoul had went and saved her from him. And that the phantom had disappeared without a trace.

"Where is he now? Is he all right? Has he been captured?" Kat thought as she walked outside to dump the dirty water she had just used to clean the floor with. Kat sighed sadly as she looked at the street Gunner and her were living on. Since that night Gunner had told her to pack everything up for they were going to move to a different part of town to avoid the police and mob from catching her as well as wrongfully accuse her as being the phantom. Kat secretly wished to stay close by so as to help the phantom if she ever ran into him, but she knew that she couldn't refuse him, as she had owed him for taking care of her when her own family had abandoned her. An image of the phantom appeared in her mind as well as his voice echoed in her mind. She felt her heart pounding heavily again, as it always did when she thought of him.

Ever since Kat had seen him and heard his voice, he had been haunting her in her dreams. Of him singing to her and dancing with her underneath a full moon as if he was seducing her. And when he was just about to kiss her, she would wake up from her dream with her heart pounding as well as her entire body feeling like she just got out of a very good hot bath. Kat had known then she must be in love with him, very deeply in love if she had been dreaming of a man she had only seen twice. "But then the heart always know and is wise when it comes to love," she whispered to herself when she started to walk back inside to check on the supper for today.

As she stirred the stew in the pot that hung in the fire place, her mind wondered back to the phantom again. She sighed again and walked away from the fireplace, wrapping her arms around herself as the sound of the phantom's voice singing echoed in the silence of the small room. The image of the phantom unmasked and pained expression flashed in her mind. "_I see a face...deformed...but handsome to my eyes,_" she began singing feeling the music in her veins as she started to sing. Kat shook her head. "_Can it be that I am going insane_," she sang some more letting her feelings and thoughts go into the song she was singing. "_Or perhaps not at all,_" Kat went on. She placed her hands to her chest feeling her heart pounding against it.

"_But I know for sure this feeling in my chest is for the man behind the mask…_" The image of the phantom appeared as he was in his opera with his half mask on. "_All these feelings that light up inside me always appear whenever he's around,_" she sang her voice like an angel's as she reached a hand out to him imagining him before her as she did so.

"_His voice reaches to my core_," she sang holding a note as the phantom's singing voice echo again in her mind. "_Lighting me up with life_," she sung wrapping her arms spread out like she was presenting something to him. "_And at the same time breathless_," Kat added moving her hands close together. "_Its enchanting tone reaches to my soul that makes me fall under his spell..._" she sung again holding another note for a few seconds as she moved her hands to her chest looking at them at the same time holding her note. Then she looked at his face, making direct eye contact with him. "_And his eyes...as they look at me I feel warmed by the dark fire inside..._" Kat sung feeling warmed as she reached a hand out to him. The image took her hand and then suddenly appeared behind her wrapping one arm around her waist while still holding her hand. The left side of his face brushed against hers, like how he held her twin sister as Kat had desired he would do to her. Kat moved her free hand to gently caress the masked side of his face. "_As also by his tempting touch which is as gentle as a child's..._" Kat sung moving her face to meet his, just close enough to kiss him but when she was about to touch his lips he vanishes making Kat alone.

"_Many people might call him a monster, but they do not know the man I see inside..._" she wrapped her arms around herself as she remembered him being kind and gentle to her at the masque. An image of him unmasked and his face full of pain as it was when Christine unmasked him. "_They fail to see that many themselves are monsters too... As well they can't tell from light to dark!_" Kat felt tears gently spill down her cheeks before she wiped them away quickly before looking to see him before her again. "_I see a face...deformed...but handsome to my eyes_," she sung smiling at him receiving one back from the image. "_Can it be that I am going insane..." Kat sung before chuckling at herself. "Or perhaps not at all_," she sung while walking up to him and cupping his gently and slowly so as not to scare him. "_But I know for sure this feeling in my chest is for the man behind the mask..._" she sung holding a long note as she moved her face slowly to his as he moved to kiss her lips.

But again he vanished before she could have his lips touch hers; leaving her alone again...she then noticed someone was sitting on the street outside the house holding onto his leg with both of his hands, wincing in pain as well from what Kat was hearing from the distance. Kat couldn't tell for sure is he twisted his ankle or had cut his leg since his back was to her. What she could tell though was that he was a gypsy, since he had tanned skin and long dark hair. Knowing that gypsies were as much of an outcast as she was, Kat went to him. The poor man had a bad cut on his leg and was trying to put some herbs on it to heal it up, but kept hissing as the sting of the pain made him draw back his hand he was pushing the herbs with.

"Do you need help with that?" she asked softly gently touching his should with her free hand. Then man turned around and looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. Kat knew that he must find her wearing a mask confusing and also wondered why she wanted to help him.

"You do know that gypsies are said to be dangerous as a rabid dog," he said looking at her up and down as if he was wondering if Kat had come from a costume party. Kat softly chuckled at his question. "I have no doubt, for a rabid dog only attacks because it is only doing so to defend itself from what it suspects to be danger," she said as she took the small bag of herbs he had at his side and moved his arm over her shoulder. "And most people will think that they are dangerous since they believe the appearances of some people or creatures are what they seem," she said as she helped him up and walk him to the house. "You don't believe what people say?" the man asked sounding surprise. Kat shook her head. "I don't believe what people say, I believe what I know from the inside of the person or creature, not by how they look," she replied as she opened the door and help the man inside the house. "It seems you are not like other people here in this city," the man said as Kat helped him into a chair. "And not because you are wearing a mask either," he said before wincing at the pain of his leg. "Don't move it so much it will bleed more," Kat said before getting a bowl of water and her needle and thread.

Kat rested the bowl by his leg and quickly grabbed a clean rag to wash the cut. It was a big one when she finished cleaning it, practically from the knee nearly to the ankle. Kat took the medical herbs he had in his pouch and went to use another bowl to mush it with little water, before spreading it onto the wound. The man softly hissed as pain stung like hell as she put the herbs on the wound. "Don't worry, I am almost done with it," Kat said before taking her curved needle and thread tied onto it since she always sew on her free time. "This might sting a little more but please bear with it," she said before she started to stitch up the long deep cut. "So what do people call you?" the man asked, trying to fight the pain for his cut. "Not many people know me, but my name is Kathleen," Kat replied when she was about half way done with the cut. "What is your name?" she asked when she finished stitching the cut and now wrapping a bandage around it. "I am named Marius, for I am as good at hiding as the moon," he replied looking at her with interest as she was a mystery to him, as well as a gentle soul since she was kind to him.

Kat finished wrapping the bandage and went to check on the stew. "So how did you get that cut Marius?" she asked as she tasted the small bit of stew to see if it tasted good. She gently tapped some salt into the stew and stirred it. "I got it cut while I was fishing by the river near here, it took my rod but thankfully didn't drag me with it," he replied. "So you were sitting by something sharp and it cut your leg? Must have hurt like hell," she said before tasting the stew again. Knowing her stew tasted good, Kat went to the oven and checked the bread. She shut off the oven and covered her hands with a cloth so to quickly take the fresh bread out of the oven and rested it on the stove before she felt her hands get burned.

"So tell me Kathleen, was that you I heard singing a while ago?" he asked with a raised brow. Kat made a squeak as she blushed of embarrassment as she didn't know someone heard her sing of her feelings. Marius softly chuckled as he found his answer was yes. "Don't be embarrassed Kathleen, I actually thought your voice was amazing," he said with a friendly smile.

"My people would think you were angel," he added giving her a compliment. Kat turned to look at him surprised that he would say that. "Really?" she asked. Marius nodded his head. "Yes, for it is rare to see someone be kind and gentle as is the angelic voice you sing with shows that about you," he said.

Kat smiled and went to pick up a bowl so to offer Marius her stew. "I have been singing and dancing since I was little, and has been my dream to do so in front of an audience but…" Kat told Marius before gently touching her mask. "But my guardian Gunner told me that my father and twin sister abandoned me because I have a deformed face…" Kat added softly before taking the bowl of stew to him. Marius nodded his head in thanks before gently taking the spoon she left in the bowl for him, and blew the hot stew before tasting it which he found was very good. Kat smiled before going to the window to see if Gunner would be home from his job interview he told her that this morning before he left. "You know Kathleen, that if you are looking for a real place to call home you are always welcome among my people," Marius said to her before he took another bite of her stew. Kat looked at him with a friendly smile. "I will remember that if I am forced to leave my home," Kat said to him before going to pour a drink for Marius to help him wash down the stew.

After chatting with Marius, Kat found herself enjoying the gypsy's company, and the stories he told her of his people and original homeland, as well as what they are going to do in the future if they can make enough money for every one of their camps.  
Marius got up from his chair. "As much as I would like to talk with you some more but I should get back to my camp before it gets dark," he explained to her. Kat nodded her head in understanding. "If you wish to find us if you are in trouble," he said taking a necklace off his neck, it looked like a sewn picture of someplace Kat never knew where it was but knew it was in the city somewhere. "This will show you where to go," he said as he placed the necklace on her. "Keep it hidden, for there are some people out there that wish to cause harm to us gypsies," he warned her. Kat again nodded her head. "I understand," Kat said hiding the necklace in her shirt so as to not let even Gunner see it. Marius rested a hand on her shoulder giving her a friendly smile. "I thank you Kathleen for helping me and treating me kindly," he said to her. "I hope that you will come and stay with my people," he added before limping to the door.

He opened the door and looked back at her. "And Kathleen?" he asked. "Yes?" she replied. "Whoever your song was about better hear your feelings in it or else loose a good person," he said before leaving the house and softly shutting the door. Kat could only stare off at the door as his words ringed in her head.

Later that night Kat was eating her part of the stew before Gunner came into the house with a very big smile on his face. Kat looked at him confused. "Did your job interview go well?" she asked wondering if that was the reason.

Gunner looked at her showing off his big smile. "Even better Kathleen," he said while he took his coat off and hung it up by the door. Gunner walked directly to her and grasped her shoulders. "I figured out where the phantom is!" he said to her in a very happy tone. Kat looked up at him with wide eyes, could it be that gunner had indeed found him?

"Are you sure Gunner?" she asked him, secretly hoping it was true. Gunner nodded his head before softly chuckling. "That man is still alive and is hidden in this very city!" he said before he went to get his bowl of Kat's stew and a piece of bread. "You see, I saw him a few nights ago and thought it was my imagination getting the better of me," he started to explain to her how he found the phantom. "So in between looking for a job I kept going back to where I thought I saw him and waited for a few minutes to see if he appeared again," he said while walking to the table sitting across from her. "And he usually never showed up until a few moments ago right after I heard some girl singing in the distance and he appeared out of nowhere!" he added on before eating a bit of his stew. "The phantom himself looked off in the distance and looked around to see where the voice was coming from! After the singing stopped he walked to an alley and I quickly followed him!" Gunner said looking at her with wide eyes.

Kat had felt surprised herself, very surprised. The phantom had heard her sing and wanted to see her?! Was he affected by her singing as she was to his?

"And then?" she asked wanting to know where the phantom was. "And then my dear, the poor chap led me to his hiding spot! That is none other than the little shack that was right behind our old home!" Gunner said laughing before he ate a piece of bread. Kat felt her chest tighten. The phantom, the man she had been worried about was hiding in a place that was right behind the place she had been living almost all her life!

"And I asked a few folks that were living on the street that were nearby his hiding place how long he had been there, and you know what they said?" he said to Kat before he ate another piece of his bread. "What did they say?" Kat asked. Gunner finished off his stew before he answered. "They told me that he was looking for a girl wearing a mask like him and is searching for her as we speak!" he said looking directly at her. Kat felt herself almost jumping out of her seat and scream in her happiness! He was looking for her! The phantom of the opera was looking for HER! But she withheld herself from doing such a thing in front of Gunner. "You think he is looking for me?" she asked trying to sound surprised and confused. Gunner nodded his head.

"I know it! For you see on the very night of his opera being performed he had asked me where you, my ward, was in the opera house while tricking me into thinking it was one of the other stage hands that was closest to me asking me that question!" he said laughing at himself. "I look up on the catwalk and I saw it moving back and forth as if someone was just up there and ran before I noticed them," Gunner explained leaning back in his seat running his fingers in his hair. "Man did he make a fool out of me," he said sighing. Gunner looked at Kathleen. Kat noticed that he had something else on his mind but kept silent and secretive about it. "So what are you saying Gunner?" Kat asked. Gunner smiled at her.

"What I am saying dear Kathleen is why not let him reuniting with the girl he is looking for? Didn't you say you always wanted to help him?" he asked Kathleen looking at her with a raised brow. "So you want me to go and see him?" Kat asked. "Even though you called him a monster and wished that the police would capture him?" she added remembering what gunner felt the night the phantom disappeared. Gunner nodded his head.

"Yes, but that night when he performed and I found you crying after he vanished I started to think he might be not as bad as the rumors of him make him as," Gunner replied resting on hand underneath the table crossing his fingers lying to Kathleen so she could believe Gunner wanted her to be happy. Kat noticed his arm under the table and remembered her father saying that there was an old friend of his and her mothers' that always had one hand underneath the table so he can hide crossing his fingers as he lied. Was Gunner the same man? Or was it just a coincidence that he had the same habit? She needed to know but knew she wasn't going to get the answer from asking him as he would just lie to her to trick her into believing she was wrong. But luckily for Kat, she had an ace up her sleeve just in case Gunner was not what she thought he was in the first place. Kat got up and went to take her bowl and Gunner's to the sink to wash. "Did he seem well when you saw him?" she asked so as not to let Gunner onto what she had in mind. Gunner nodded his head. "Yes, he seemed like it but can't say for sure since I had to stay hidden so I wouldn't lose him," Gunner replied crossing his arms as he watched her. Kat finished the dishes and dried them off before she putted them away in the cupboard.

Kat took out a drinking glass for Gunner and went to the cabin where Kat kept the drinks in. She took the chance to slip out a small bottle she had hidden in her corset. She had bought the bottle a few weeks ago from the apothecary in case robber came and broke into the house, since she heard that the street they were living on was rumored to be robbed on some occasions. So in case the robbers wanted her to serve them a drink, she would drug them and head to safety. Luckily for her the apothecary owner never bothered to ask why Kat wore a mask around that time.

"Did anyone else see you following him?" Kat asked as she opened the drink bottle and sneaked opening her drug bottle while Gunner looked away. Gunner thought about that for a few minutes. "No, as far as I could see no one noticed me following the man," he replied before looking back at her.

Kat had put the small drug bottle in her sleeve after quickly pouring a small amount into Gunner's drink glass. She then turned and walked up to Gunner with the drink presenting it before him on the table. "Thank you," Gunner said before taking a gulp of the drink. Kat had slowly backed away, fearing that the drug would work too fast. She soon found out that the drug took quick effect as she feared as Gunner soon started to get groggy and then passed out making his drink fall to the floor breaking the glass along the way. When Kat felt that it was safe to move, she moved quickly To Gunner's coat and looked through his pockets she soon found that there was a wanted poster for the phantom for ten thousand francs if he was found alive and twenty thousand if found dead. Feeling betrayed and angry at Gunner for lying to her about finding the phantom when he was searching for her Kat went and packed up her dresses, undergarments; which there was very few, and her other two masks she had made herself. Knowing she didn't have enough time she packed some bread and cheese hoping it would be enough for her to hold until she got to the phantom and they both were somewhere safe.

"I pray that I make it in time and never get to see Gunner ever again!" Kat shouted in her head before she lifted her traveling bag over her shoulder and went out the door being careful to not waking the lying pig that was still in a drugged sleep. The sound of thunder echoed in the night as a rain storm was coming but Kat didn't pay much attention as she ran to where her old home was by the opera house was and found the shed that Gunner had said the phantom was hiding in, at least the pig didn't completely lie to her. Kat opened the door and shut it just as soon it was about to stop raining.

Kat rested her bag by the door and gently took her mask off to wipe the rain drops off of her face and her mask. She looked up and found herself in complete darkness, but she wasn't afraid of it. What she was really afraid of that she was too late and that he was already captured by other men that would want that huge bounty that was on him. Kat felt that there was someone else in the shed with her, so felt half relieved. But was it actually him was what was she was wondering.

"Are you there…?" she whispered softly as she slowly rested her mask on her bag. Only silence filled the darkness of the shed as Kat received no answer from the phantom. He stood still and was surprised to see some young girl come in his hiding place and knew he was in here with her. Who was she? And why was here? That was the very question that was going through his mind as he held his breath hoping that she didn't find him in here. Kat took her cloak off and rested it on top of her mask and bag before rubbing her arms to warm herself up. She slowly walked forward with her hands in front of her feeling out for anything so she couldn't trip herself over anything in the shed. "Don't be frightened," she said as she moved forward. "I came here to find you before it was too late," she added after she felt that she was near by a table and gently felt around it before she found herself suddenly touching a warm and muscular chest…she then saw his face, unmasked and bare for all to see as her face was.

Kat had felt his pulse underneath the palm of her hand…to her ears she heard music then just a thump, thump a regular beat would make. She felt the singing in her veins that he brought up inside her as he did when she first heard him sing, and her own heart began to pound as her hands moved upward and stopped at his shoulders. His hand gently touched her arm as if to see if she was real. Her feelings for him and how happy she was that she made it in time she embraced him in her arms wrapped around his neck. She then moved back to look into his eyes again and saw his heart and soul completely bare to her. She knew then that Gunner had told the truth about him searching for her and that he must care for her as she did him.

Then he kissed her and she felt her body singing of desire as the world around her fell away and she caressed the deformed side of his face. They both started to softly whisper to one another as he led them to the bed that was in a dark corner of the shed. As she was stripping his clothing off as he was doing with her own before they landed on the bed still kissing and caressing.

He then took her as a man would with a woman…he made love to her again and again, their cries of pleasure silently heard only between the two of them. And every time Kat climaxed she felt herself in a wave of ecstasy and in a paradise she never dreamed of…except with the man she loved with her whole body and soul. She looked at him as they had their last climax and gently caressed his face which was covered with a light sweat and his eyes looking down at her with gentleness she never saw even Gunner show her in her entire life. Kat gently kissed his lips and slowly rested his head on her chest the deformed side of his face resting on her skin as she held him to her with love and gentleness, showing that she cared for him and didn't care if he was deformed or not. "What is your name…?" she asked gently wondering what she should call him, phantom was not something she thought he wouldn't enjoy to hear especially since he was a wanted man. "Erik…" he replied softly, his voice again making her body and heart pound at the sound of it. Slowly Kat began to fall into a deep sleep.

Erik then slowly after he felt completely rested; he looked out the window and saw that it was almost dawn. He looked back at Kat and felt ashamed at what he had done with her as well as what he was. He then got out of bed and dressed glancing at Kat as she slept with a happy smile on her face.

Erik went to the bed and gently pecked her head and softly whispered a good-bye before going off into the darkness and disappeared.

**Author's note:** Here is chapter five! I finally got it done! So sorry it took so long for me to write it! I had to wait for the runner of the job program I signed up for got me a job or I have to wait for it still. (and got distracted by true blood.)

This bit of the chapter was a hard one to plan out and also write. (Especially where the song beneath a moonless sky song was describing about and took place. I hate the lyrics to it but love the music in it.)

This is a first introduction to my gypsy char Marius, whose name was also another challenge to pick out. But since I liked Anne rice's marius char from the movie 'queen of the damned' I figured to give my gypsy a good name of a guy that can be gentle but dangerous at the same time when threatened. (plus I felt bad that Marius had such a pain in the butt 'child' Lestat)

I was torn at if I should have Gunner be drugged, knocked out, or just have Kat sneak out while he slept. The drugging won out as you can see.

What will happen next for Kat? Keep reading and watching me to find out! (And give me comments please! And thanks to those that have been giving me some and cheering me on! )


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Marius had a difficult time this morning as he slowly limped down the street, wondering why he just felt like something bad was going to happen any moment now. _'Did it have to do with Kathleen?'_ he thought to himself as he was just crossing at a crossroads that was right in front of the legendary opera house that was rumored to have an actual ghost that had an obsession with a young opera singer. The gossip among his people was heard that the phantom had escaped from the police and was supposedly still alive. But the foolish police force believed that the Opera ghost was dead. _'Heh…Them foolish police do not know how things work in the underground realm…If you want to disappear, you will be gone like the wind or in the case of the phantom, you become a ghost and disappear into the night,'_ Marius thought when he walked down the alley way to a secluded old shack. He then suddenly heard a soft sound of crying… A young woman was crying. Marius stopped in his tracks as he heard the sound and quickly found out that the crying was coming from inside the shack. He walked to the shack's door and slowly opened it to see what was going on…

Kathleen softly cried as she had woken up and found that Erik was gone…left her like a common street girl…but she slowly calmed down…maybe he left cause he heard the police were nearby and he didn't want to put her in danger…Or maybe…

"Young miss?" asked a male voice from the door way. Kathleen turned to look at the door way and she had a surprised look on her face as she Marius in the door way. "Marius? What are you doing here?" she said to him. Marius looked completely surprised as he recognized the voice of the pretty girl he saw before him. "Kathleen? Is that you?" he asked walking in looking completely shocked as he walked in the shack and shut the door so no one would see the both of them in here. Kathleen looked up at him innocently. "Marius…I…" she then realized that she had her mask off and covered her face surprised that Marius isn't repulsed by her ugly face.

"My mask! I completely forgot I had it off!" she said in almost a panicked voice. Marius walked to her and rested his hands on both of her shoulders. "Kathleen, listen to me, I don't know what is going on, or who did this but one thing is certain," he said trying to calm Kathleen down a little. "Your face isn't deformed…it is as normal as mine is," he explained to her and he pulled a small mirror that he always carried to see if he would either be followed or to try and shave.

"See for yourself…" he said as he made the small mirror face her so she could see her face. Kat looked at the mirror and looked in complete shock…she had a normal face…she had a normal beautiful face…

"But how can…I was told that my face was deformed by my adopted father…" she said explaining to him why she looked so surprised. "He then must have lied to you in order to keep you hidden from your father…" Marius said now understanding what the situation was. "Yes," Kat answered now believing that her so called adopted father had been lying to her all her life! "He possibly wanted to keep me because he had a grudge to my father…" she said telling Marius she had a good hunch was the reason for all this mess. She then remembered that she had just drugged him and that he could possibly be coming here! "Marius can you take me to your people?" she asked Marius looking at him with hope. She prayed that he would say yes…

Marius looked down at her and smirked at her. "Not with you nearly naked," he said with a bit of a humor in his tone. Kat then noticed that she was naked under the seat and completely blushed pink. "Oh my goodness!" she said as she clutched the sheet to her chest. "I completely forgot about it!"

Marius softly chuckled and pulled her bag that seemed to be the one her mask was on and had clothes in it. "Let's get you dressed and possibly my father will understand and let you stay with us," Marius said as he picked out a simple outfit that was at the top inside the bag. Kat accepted the clothes and nodded her head. "I am eternally grateful…" she said still a bit shy and embarrassed that she was still naked under the sheet. Marius nodded his head and stood up. "It isn't a problem. I believe that God, even though we aren't supposed to speak to him, wants you to escape and have the life that was stolen from you at a young age," he said before heading to the doorway of the shack. "I will wait for you outside while you dress," he said as he left the shack and waited outside like he said.

As soon as Kat was alone in the room she quickly got out from under the sheet and got dressed. Her mind had wondered back to Erik and wondered where he was now but he will have to wait until she was safe and hidden from the one man that possibly would like to kill her. Kathleen got all her things packed up and for this time she didn't put her mask back on…she only carried it in her hand as Marius started to lead her back to his home where his people lived…in the court of miracles.

Gypsies and bohemians danced and sang today for they were having a bit of a celebration for today in their court, and the celebration was dedicated to celebrating the thirty-fifth birthday of their leader Annibal. But the only thing that was on the gypsy's mind was where in Paris was his son? Ever since he came back yesterday and told him about a masked girl that helped him with his injured foot that boy has been gone for nearly the whole day.

Although he was grateful to the young lady to helping his son, Annibal couldn't help but feel that his son might be too focused on the girl…then again he didn't meet this girl so how was he to judge someone whom he didn't know?

Suddenly he heard a 'pssst!' from behind him at the entrance from inside the tent that both Marius himself happen to live in. He squinted at the entrance and saw that his son was back from his little walk around town. "Marius!" he said in relief as he walked to the entrance of the tent. "Where on earth have you…?" he stopped midway as he now noticed that there was a girl inside their tent. "You found a woman to have for a wife?" he asked wondering if his son was going way too fast for the married life. Marius shook his head. "No father, this is the girl I told you about…the one that helped heal my foot," Marius said as he walked to Kat and gently touched her shoulder. "She was tricked by her adopted parent and he seeks to hunt her down, can she stay with us father?" he asked.

Annibal looked at the girl for a minute. She wasn't wearing her mask so her adopted parent had lied to her all her life and like his people possibly was forced to hide in the shadows and not ever get the happy life anyone, man or woman would want in life. He got down to his knees before Kat, who looked at him with a bit of fear and nervousness. She must be worried that he would refuse to keep her with them. His people may hang people that don't belong here, but they weren't as monstrous as those outside in the world.

"What is your name my dear?" he asked gently touching his hand on her shoulder, trying to help her relax. "Kathleen Daaẽ, sir," she answered. "Kat for short…" she added with a half friendly smile. He looked at her surprised. "Are you related to the singer Christine Daaẽ?" he asked knowing the name Daaẽ rang a bell in his head. Kathleen nodded her head. "She is my twin sister…" she answered having a sad expression on her face. '_She must have not seen her twin at all in her life till she was taken,'_ he thought in his mind. "Do you know of the opera ghost?" he asked. Kat nodded her head.

"Yes…I met him at the Masque and also saw him perform with my sister…and last night," Kat answered looking more sad and heartbroken. "My adopted father tried to use me to trap him for the bounty that is on him…" she said before she stopped and blushed. Marius smirked knowing now why she was naked when he found her.

"And you are his lover…?" Marius asked taking a guess. Kathleen blushed red. "I am not sure…we did make love last night but…when I woke up he was gone…" Kat answered. Annibal looked at his son with a raised brow and then looked at Kat again. "Do you have any talents? You will have to prove yourself to our people that you belong here…" he said to her. Kat nodded her head again. "I can sing, dance, sew, clean, cook and also now a little bit on healing injuries," she replied feeling confident in making the people know she can take care of herself. He smiled at her feeling a bit proud of her like a father to a daughter. "Then you may stay here with us, I will take you in as my adopted daughter and that you know the phantom and helped him escape last night," he said.

Kat smiled feeling relief go through her. "Thank you sir…" Annibal chuckled. "Best learn to start calling me 'father' from now on 'daughter'," he said with a teasing tone. Kat softly laughed and hugged him. She felt so happy and hoped that she had found a family that would care for her as she would for them. Marius smirked at his father. "Odd isn't it? Today is your birthday and you get a daughter for it," he chuckled. Kat and Annibal laughed along with him. "Guess God has been hearing me pray to have a girl be brought into this family," he said looking at his son still laughing. God did indeed work in mysterious ways...such as now inside Kathleen another surprise was about to come along in her life…

**Author's note:** Hope you like this one! And like the new character I created, Annibal the leader of the gypsies and father to our dashing Marius!

Is Kat safe from Gunner? What will happen to our sexy masked Phantom? What is the surprise that Kat is going to get later in life? Will Kat and Erik meet again?


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Five years later

_"I hear his voice every night before I go to sleep..."_ Kat started to sing as she got on her costume for the performance of Coney Island's opening day for the summer time. A reflection of Erik appeared in her dressing room mirror as she started to put small make-up on her face. "_Never can I stop this feeling he brings in me…I know I should stop thinking or not even hope, but I cannot stop loving him...Even though he loves another..."_ she sang on as she then set up her jewelry for her wrists and ankles looking away from the mirror.

_"I must be strong and stand tall for everyone will worry of me,"_ she sung as she looked back at herself in the mirror. "_I must be prepared to face my fears, but the ache in my heart will not go away!"_ she said as she got up and slowly walked to the full body mirror so to see if she was all right before putting on her small veil belt to match her costume. "_Many people might call him a monster, but they do not know the man I see inside!"_ she said as another memory flash appeared in her mind of Erik_. "They fail to see that many themselves are monsters too... As well they can't tell from light to dark!"_ she said as she shook her head and started to set her jeweled head piece on. _"I see a face...deformed...but handsome to my eyes…"_ she sang softly as another reflection appeared in her full mirror and she got up and slowly walked to it. She raised a hand to touch the mirror. _"Can it be that I am going insane...?"_ she asked before shaking her head.

_"Or perhaps not at all…"_ she said before picking up her special performance mask off from the side table that was beside the full length mirror. "_But I know for sure this feeling in my chest is for the man…."_ She sung holding a note a while as she looked at her mask for a while before putting it on. _"Behind the….. Mask…"_ she sang as she then looked at herself in the mirror and the image of Erik was gone.

"Kathleen?" called a male voice from her dressing room door. She turned to see that Marius was standing in the door way, in costume and ready to perform in the show. It had been five long years since they had met and came here to Coney Island from Paris. Successfully getting all of their people here in America to have a better life here then hiding in the shadows of the court of Miracles. Kat had become the dancing gypsy princess among her people, some of them believe that she was an angel sent by the good Lord to save them and bring them to a better land for them to live in, and also because of her kindness and gentle heart she showed to her people as well as all of the people here on Coney island.

Many of them had nicknamed her 'Mother' for she cared for everyone here like a mother should. As why everyone would obey her as if she was their master for without her they wouldn't know true mother's love nor have their dream of being out among those that would shun them or despise them because of their appearance. Kat enjoyed being a mother to all of the people of the island, for she did think all of them as her own family or children.

"Yes, Marius?" she asked him. Marius smiled at Kat. He was never more proud or more honored to have her for his adopted sister and also to have her for a friend.

"It is about time to start the show…and the boss would like to see you after the show," he answered her. Kat nodded her head, having a good guess why the boss here of Coney Island would like to see her. She had made friends with him when she first appeared here and auditioned her performing acts here. "I understand, I will see him soon after," she said as she walked out of her dressing room and walked with Marius to the ring of their dancing stage, which was similar to a circus sort of stage but it was more of a dance hall/circus ring mixture that Kat, Marius and the boss designed based on the acts and performances that would be performed for each act of Coney Island. So far a lot of people had come in to see some of the small mysteries here on the Island Kat hoped that people would always enjoy each one of them she presented.

After the show Kat walked up to the boss's office or penthouse as it was called here in America. She gently knocked on the door before opening the door and walked inside, closing the door behind her as she walked up to where she saw the boss working on another packet of paperwork.

She curtsied to him, showing him respect and being polite. "You wished to see me sir?" she asked as she looked at him. She noticed that he was writing out a will…

He looked up at her with a friendly smile. "Yes, I did," he said as he slowly got up out of his chair. Kat walked to him and helped him out of the chair, knowing it must be hard for him his age. "Let me help you," she said as she assisted him. He smiled and gently patted on Kat's arm. "Thank you my dear," he said before standing fully up. The boss slowly started to walk to the front of his desk looking at the glass doors that showed a good view of the island. "I have been running this Island for as long as I can remember," he started.

"Heavens, I started building it from when I started to have it as a circus…" he said chuckling. He then turned to look at her. "I am getting older by the years and soon I will pass on," he went on. He leaned on his desk as he looked at her. "Many of the people here already know of this coming and soon they are wondering who will take my place when I am gone…" he said to her with his eyes closed.

He then opened them again looking directly at her. "Kat, I have decided that you shall take over for me, run this Island and build it greater than it is now," he said seriously. Kat couldn't help but be a bit surprised by this but she had a feeling something like this might happen. But Kat knew she couldn't take the job, for if she did not only would it reveal her and Gunner could find her easier. But luckily for her, she had a better person in mind…someone more creative than her…a true genius that could make Coney a shining star and a true Island of wonder and dreams.

"I am sorry to tell you this, but I must refuse," she said looking at him with an apologetic face, even though it was hard to tell since Kat wore her mask, another protection for her from Gunner which she was using to her full advantage. He looked at her surprised. "Why? Why must you refuse?" he asked her.

Kat smiled at him. "Because I am not really qualified for a job like this, but do not worry," she said as she walked to the boss and gently touched his shoulder. "I know someone that is qualified and he will bring Coney Island to its brightest glory," she said to him. He looked at her worried. "And here is a proposal for you; if you doubt my choice, test him yourself. Have him prove himself to you that he can take this job," she said knowing he would like this idea and would not only be a good deal but also have the man Kat had in mind get a place here and also the best way of life for him. The boss thought about this for a while. He then looked up at her. "Who is this man you speak of? And is he here on this Island?" he asked her. Kat shook her head no.

"No, he isn't on this Island," she answered pulling her hand away. "But I plan on getting him here soon, for I have wanted to bring him here for a long time," she added knowing her boss would be worried for this person wasn't here and he wouldn't be able to name a successor. "How do you plan on getting him here?" he asked. Kat smirked at her boss. "I already have it arranged; a few of my people that are in the smuggling business are on the lookout for him and anyone that is with him, and I just got a notice a few days ago that he is on his way here by ship as we speak sir," she answered. She was eager to have him come here and see him again…she only hoped that he would remember her. The boss smiled at her shaking his head. He knew her for nearly five years and still was surprised by her clever mind…which was why he wanted to choose her to be his successor but he would trust her judgment and see if this man she had chosen will indeed be worthy for the job. He only hoped that he would live long enough to see all that… "Very well Kathleen…I will test him and see if this man you chose will be able to be my successor," he said looking at her with a smile.

Kat smiled happily, glad to know that all she had planned was falling into place perfectly…all that had to start it was the man that was on his way here…. 

On a ship nearly three days away from America a man in a cloak looked out into the sea and gazed at the night sky. He sighed for he was glad that none of the crew members ever bothered him and left him be. But he couldn't help but wonder why that was.

"Wondering why no one has bothered you as much as most people would?" asked the captain of the ship, looking at him with a knowing smirk. The cloaked man softly chuckled. "It seems you are able to read my mind captain," he said not making any eye contact with the man. The Captain chuckled along with him. "No my good man, it is just I had a guess that you would be wondering that since you set foot on this ship with your two female companions," he replied standing beside the cloaked man at the rail.

The cloaked man shivered at the mention of his companions…boy he would be glad when they got off this ship for he couldn't bear to be around them without wanting to strangle both of them for being so demanding. "Please don't remind me of those two," he said. The captain laughed at his response. "It is all right, I understand," he said before looking out at the sea. "So what do you plan to do once you get to America?" he asked. The cloaked man thought about it for a while before answering. "I am not sure…" he replied. The captain smirked at the man's reply, as if he knew that would be his answer. "Well sir, I think of a place that you could go to…" he said to the cloaked figure, reaching a hand into his pocket and pulled out a letter. The cloaked man was a little interested and slightly turned to see the Captain take the letter out.

"Where do you have in mind?" the cloaked man asked. The Captain turned to look at the cloaked man and handed him the letter that had the figure's name on the letter. "Not me, sir," he answered as he handed the man the letter. "Someone you met in the past and has gone very great lengths to get you the life you really deserve," he added. The cloaked man took the letter from the Captain and looked at it confused.

"Am I allowed to ask who?" the cloaked man asked. The Captain smirked at the man. "I was told not to say, sir for this particular person would be in great danger if I were to reveal their identity to you," the captain said before looking at the letter.

"That letter is to instruct you on where to go when you get to America," he said before nodding his head to the man with the edge of his hat. "Good night sir and I wish you luck on where you are heading," he said before he walked away.

The cloaked man looked more puzzled and opened the letter, wanting to know what was going on.

_'Dear Sir,_

You are by now wondering who I am and why I have written you this letter, and as to what I have planned for you. All that you need to know is that I am a friend you made in the past a few years ago and I mean to help and protect you, NOT to harm you. When you get to America, in the alley way by the docks there will be someone there to pick you up and take you to your new home. Do not worry for this person would have a little trouble of recognizing you or knows what you look like.  
Hope to see you soon after five years,  
a friend in the shadows.'

The cloaked figure was surprised and was a little bit amazed at this person for knowing exactly what he would be thinking and new he was coming to America. This person interested him greatly and knew that this was a chance to try and find this person whoever it was. "This is someone I met five years ago…" he said aloud to himself as he tried to remember who he met at that time… It was around the time that he last saw Christine and she ran away with the viscount, there was only one person he met at the time but how on earth could she know all about this? Memories of a moonless night flashed in his mind and he shook his head. He had to forget that night… He had to….

Three days later…..

The cloaked figure walked off the gangplank of the ship, searching for the alley that was mentioned in the letter…so far there was only one alley and it was the only closest one. "I hope this person knows what they are doing…" said the older one of his traveling companions. He turned to look at her. "Madam Giry, I am hoping as much as you are," he said before walking further into the docks, dodging two or three people that walked in front of him.

"Why should we trust someone we don't even know is trying to trap us?" the younger companion said to Madam Giry as she followed. Madam Giry looked at her and sighed. "Because Meg we can't waist any chances on good opportunities like this one," she answered her daughter. "And because I would like to very much know who is the one that helped us get smuggled out of France and have us come out here in the first place," the cloaked man whispered softly as he got closer to the alley, walking into it without a second thought being cautious as he walked into the darkness of the alley, feeling the familiarity being in the shadows as he had been in them before in Paris. The women followed along with him being a bit more hesitant then he was.

The cloaked figure stopped half way into the alley way as he suddenly saw someone cloaked like him come out from the shadows, he moved his hood slightly so to show his face to them. "Are you the one that wrote that letter and smuggled us here?" the cloaked man asked staring at the stranger before him. The man only smirked. "No, that wasn't me," he answered stepping closer and looked at the three of them, especially at Meg.

Meg got slightly closer to her mother, not trusting the stranger before them. "Who are you?" Madam Giry asked the man. The stranger smiled at them finding it a bit humorous at their fear of him. "I am Dr. Gangle, at your service sir… And 'mother's'," he said before giving the cloaked man a mid-way bow showing him his respect to him and also good manners. "'Mother's'?" the cloaked man asked a bit confused at his words. Gangle smiled at the cloaked man. "You'll understand soon enough, sir," he said before pulling his hood back to hiding himself.

"Let us be on our way and you will soon see your new home," he said before walking away backwards and heading to the other side of the alley. "Follow me please," he said before heading into the other Alley. The cloaked man was hesitant before he followed after Gangle, with the Giry women following soon after…surprised that at the end of the alley was a door way to an odd sort of carriage…or what he thought looked like one.

"Step inside sir, this is your personal ride," Gangle said as he stood by the door with a smirk on his face. "'Mother' had thought that you would like to see America while we take you to your new home," he explained. The cloaked man felt a bit cautious before he walked inside. Madam Giry and Meg were about to climb in but Gangle stopped them. "Just put your bags inside, you two are riding up front with me I'm afraid," he told them.

Madam Giry felt like she was insulted but she followed Gangle's request. Meg had already settled her bag inside with the cloaked man before she waited for Gangle and her mother. Madam Giry set her bags inside and when she was out of the way Gangle shut the secret door to the carriage and lead the both of them to sit up front he then got up with them and started to have the horses start leading them away from this alley and to Coney Island's main entrance gate. Inside the carriage the cloaked man was amazed that no one noticed him inside, but what amazed him more was the place he was being taken to…. "Coney Island?" he asked himself.

He chuckled to himself. "I got to give this person credit, there is no better place for me to neither hide nor be safe then here," he said as he saw some of the game stands, food trollies, or what surprised him was side shows of people that looked as odd as he did, and not one of them were afraid… The carriage then stopped and the door opened.

"Come outside sir, Mother is waiting…" said a deep and manly sort of voice, which made the cloaked man think of him as someone from Persia. He stepped up from his seat and stepped out taking his bag with him. There he met a big man with a unique look about him. But from what he could tell the cloaked man was wise to guess that this man was more then he seemed to be. "And who are you sir?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I am the mighty Squelch, the strongest man here on Coney Island," he answered giving him a half bow like Gangle did before. "Best we hurry along sir, we don't want to keep Mother waiting," he said as he shut the secret door. "What about…?" the cloaked man asked as he glimpsed at where he guess the Giry women were with Gangle. "Gangle will take them to their rooms here and get them started on their new jobs here that mother chose for them," he answered as the carriage left the cloaked man and Squelch alone together. "Follow me sir," Squelch said to him extending a hand to a large tent that was big enough for a circus, and the sounds of cheers and applause came from inside. The cloaked man walked inside what he assumed was the door way and slowly walked in, wondering who this mother person was and if he had anything to fear of this person. As he walked inside the applause was now silenced and the lights went out and then back on as an act was starting. What caught his interest was the woman in the spot light looked familiar to him and he knew he had seen her somewhere before….was she this 'mother' Gangle and Squelch mentioned?

Kat wore a flower covered dress and gently started to slowly dance to the first notes of the music. She wished to that she would contain her excitement as she was performing her number. _"Angel of music play your song…Let us sing your melodies..."_ she started to sing, holding a small note and keeping her voice in control with a great skill, having everyone enchanted by her voice as she slowly took small steps and moved her arms. _"Angel of music let us be the voice of harmony..."_ she sung holding another note before she spun and the music started up again and she danced along with it, as if the music's sound wave made her move like she was in an ocean along with its tune and tempo.

"_I can hear the trees singing with the wind as it blows….The ocean roars as it cheers 'Encore!'…" _she sung as she presented her arms to the crowd before moving like a ballerina with her tip toes moves. _"Rain drops drip, drip, drip as they give applause…."_ she sung holding a note as she spun around to the music that was playing to her dance. _"Your music….Your music rings loudly in my ears as my spirit starts to soar!"_ she sang before holding a slight note there to start the next words to the song. _"Angel of music play your song…"_ she sung as she gave a little bow before lifting up and looked up at the ceiling as if she was praying or actually seeing an angel. _"Let us sing your melodies…"_ she sung before she started to twirl and does another gypsy dance like move. _"Angel, oh angel of music, let us be the voice of harmony….!"_ She held the note before she started to fully dance.

He was surprised to see this girl; he slowly started to recognize her. He knew then she was Kathleen…the masked Angel he met at the Masquerade at the Paris Opera that day five years ago… "So have you figured out who 'mother' is sir?" Squelch asked him. The cloaked man watched as Kat danced around on the stage with great skill…especially along with the music that was playing. "Still not sure…I need to talk to her before I decide…" he replied.

"You will see her soon after the show…" Squelch said before Kat started to sing again. She started to hold a few notes as she sung. _"Ohhhhh...Ohhhhhhh...Ohhhhh...Ohhhhhhh...Ohhhhh... Ohhhhhhh...ahhhaaa Angel play your song..."_ she sung her voice sounding angelic as she did a few high notes as was required to in her song. _"Let us sing your melodies..."_ she sung again moving her arms as she then walked to the center and stood the center of the stage and performed like a singing opera singer.

_"Ohhhh Angel, oh angel...Let us be the voice of harmony...Let us be the voice of harmony...!"_ she sung holding the highest and angelic note. The cloaked man thought he was seeing visions of the past as the crowd applauded to Kat…seeing visions of another singer making the audience applauded to her voice… Then his vision came back to the present as Kat gave a bow to the audience before the next act's music started to play and Kat began to dance again, disappearing among the other acrobatics that flipped around her.

She was then gone as if she was part of the shadows…

**Author's note:** We get to be introduced to Gangle and Squelch! (I loved the trio so I thought this would be one of the ways that Erik possibly met them in LND. I haven't introduced Miss Flick yet...)  
And I don't need to tell you who are masked man is...we all know who this sexy masked man is!

What job will Erik have to do here?  
Will Kat and Erik meet finally face-to-face?


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The cloaked man followed Mr. Squelch as he then led him to the backstage area of the tent. He couldn't believe that Kathleen was the one that had him brought here…but why? Why would she have him come here of all places? And how on earth was she able to do it all? Those questions filled his thoughts as Mr. Squelch knocked on the dressing room door…

"It is Mr. Squelch mother…along with a guest who wants to see you…" he said after knocking three times. "Come in!" a female voice answered from the other side. Mr. Squelch smiled before he turned the door knob and opened the door… "Step inside sir…She is waiting…" he said presenting his hand inside. The cloaked man looked at Mr. Squelch before he slowly stepped inside the room.

The cloaked man glanced around the dressing room as he heard the door shut behind him. A woman who looked like more of a man by the face structure, holding a dress came out from the curtains. 'That must be where Kat is changing out of her costume…' he thought as he then stepped aside as the woman came at his direction and settled the dirty costume into a small wicker basket before she then headed back into the curtain area.

She popped her head out and looked at him. "She will be ready in a minute…Please sit while you wait…" she said with a deep manly like voice as she glanced at the chair that was by door. The cloaked man nodded his head before sitting down, getting more and more curious about Kat and her reasons for having him here… The sound of humming came from where the dressing area was and soon the manly woman came out and picked up the wicker basket and went out the room. Kat came out wearing a rose pink mask with white lace outlining along with a matching rose pink gypsy styled attire that made her innocently pretty. She had settled into her dressing room chair and smiled at the cloaked man… The cloaked man smirked at her with a knowing look.

"It seems we meet again Mademoiselle Kathleen…" the cloaked man said to her. Kat smiled at him. "Yes it does…" Kat said as she held her hands in her lap like a lady like manner.

The cloaked man crossed his arms looking at her curiously. "So…in your letter to me it said that you said you mean to help and protect me…" he said that was a statement then a question. Kat nodded her head. "Yes…As you helped me once in the past when we first met, I am returning the favor to you…" she started to explain to him. "As well as to keep you safe from one enemy that is also mine…" she added. The cloaked man raised a brow in interest. "Oh really? I do admit that this place is the perfect place for me to hide but can you be so certain that I will be able to stay here?" he asked.

It was Kat's turn to raise a brow. "Oh I know you will be able to stay here…I arranged for you to meet the manager himself…" she replied. The cloaked man had a big smile on his face. "You planned out everything didn't you?" he asked as he chuckled.

Kat giggled at his question. "You can say that…" she said before looking at him directly in the eyes. "You look well…I trust the trip to America was pleasant?" she asked him. The cloak man nodded his head, making the hood that hid his face bounce slightly. "Yes…The Captain was a pleasant fellow…One of your agents I take it?" he replied asking with a raised brow. Kat giggled softly. "If by 'agent' you mean he is one of my people then yes…" she replied.

The cloaked man again was confused. "One of your people?" he asked repeating her words. Kat smiled at his reaction. "He is one of the many Gypsies that work for me…" she explained. "After I saw the Don Juan opera, I ran away from my guardian and found my new father, Annibal, who adopted me as his daughter…" she said, explaining more to the cloaked man so he would understand.

He looked surprised at her. "Annibal? You were adopted by the king of the Gypsies himself?" he asked her, his voice sounding really surprised. Kat nodded her head as her answer. "Why did you leave your guardian?" he then asked. Kat's face, or at least the lower part of it, became pale… "It's...a bit hard to explain…" she said as her hands gently shook as her trembling hands fidgeted in her lap. The cloaked man then looked down.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to…" he said feeling a slight guilty for making her uncomfortable. Kat shook her head. "I do want to tell you, but…" she started to say before someone knocked at the door. "Kathleen? It's Master Marius…" Squelch said from the other side. "Said that the boss would like to see your friend now…" he added.

Kat nodded her head. "We will be there…" she replied standing up from her chair and looked down at him. "I will tell you about my running away another time…" she said with a half-smile. "When the time is right of course, as we are strangers to one another are we not?"

The cloaked man smirked and chuckled in understanding. "Yes, we are…" he said as he then got up. Kat smiled at him and walked to the door. "Follow me to the boss's office…" she said as she walked to the door and opened it. The cloaked man followed her out into the hallway where Squelch was waiting for them, along with another man that must have been Marius. Marius looked at the cloaked figure with curiosity and from what the man could tell was also interest. Why he looked at him like that the man will have to figure out later as he remained here working at this place. "Nervous?"

The cloaked man turned to look at Kat and smiled. "A little…" he answered honestly. Kat smiled at his reply. "Don't be, the boss is a gentle and kind man," Kat said with a kind smile and a gentle pat on his shoulder before walking ahead of him. The cloaked man was surprised by her touch on his shoulder for a second before he then quickly followed after her, with Marius and Squelch following them not far behind.

"He seems interesting don't you think?" Squelch asked Marius with a soft whisper. Marius smirked at the cloaked man as he walked beside Kat. "Indeed, but I still have yet seen the reason why my darling little sister thinks he is perfect for the boss's job…Indeed he is supposed to be the former Paris opera ghost, but I have yet to be convinced," he replied which Squelch couldn't help but chuckle. "Playing the part of the protective brother sir?" Marius rolled his eyes.

"I know to trust the man to not harm her if that is what you are referring to…" he said before they were at the door to the tower where the boss's office was.

Kat felt nervous as she walked with the cloaked man to the boss's office. _'He is here…He is finally here…'_ she thought as she walked with him smiling as she took a secret glance at him. _'And safe…'_ she thought before glancing up to be sure he didn't notice. _'Hopefully he will pass the test…otherwise how else can I keep him safe from HIM…'_ she added as they passed the entrance to the fun house.

"So…this place seems nice…" he started to say as he noticed a small stage showing off a giant woman that looked as big as Squelch. Kat smiled at his words. "Yes…this is the one place where folks that are different can feel normal…" she said with a smile. "Where one can no longer need to hide in the shadows…" she added.

The cloaked man smiled. "Yes…" he agreed. "But I am sure some of them don't get used to it…" he added.

Kat giggled at that. "No, some of them take longer than others do, considering where they came from and how rough their life was before coming here…" she said agreeing again. "When I first arrived here, some of them were shy and also nervous…mostly because they were afraid," she added as they passed the area where some of the tourists were eating a candy apple covered with Caramel and nuts. "But after you arrived and they knew you better they were no longer afraid?" the cloaked man asked, taking a guess at what Kat was going to say next. Kat giggled at his question. "Sort of, it was about three months before they all warmed up to me…I gave them kindness and gentleness, giving them what they never had…" she replied. "Becoming like the mother they never had?" he guessed.

Kat nodded her head. "Yes, hence why everyone calls me 'mother'. Because I give them motherly love and also think of them as my children," she said. "And also is an Angel to them…" he added.  
Kat smirked and then nodded. "I suppose so…Many of them at first wondered and asked me if I was that since I was being kind to them all the time…" she said before they started to arrive at the boss's building. The cloaked man saw the building and almost looked nervous. Kat noticed this and gently took his hand. He felt it and looked down at their hands before glancing up at her. Kat gave him a warm and encouraging smile. "You'll do fine…" she said before opening the door and lead him up the stairs to the boss's office. "And don't worry, he doesn't bite…" she teased and the result the cloaked man laughed. "That thought never crossed my mind," he said before following Kat.

"It is just that I don't know what to expect of him or what he expects of me…" he said explaining to her of his nervousness. Kat smiled and turned to him as they got to the door. "You just need to do one thing…" she said looking at him. "What is that?" he asked. Kat smiled and gently rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Just be yourself…You don't need to pretend to be someone you are not here…And no longer need to keep hiding," she said before moving the hand away.

"Ready?" she then asked. "As ready as I'll ever be…" he replied, shrugging his shoulders. Kat smiled at him before turning to the door and knocked gently on it. "Come in…" the boss said before Kat opened the door and stepped in. "He is here sir…the one I told you about…" she said as she opened the door wider for the cloaked man to step inside. Kat then shut the door before going to open the shades a bit to let some light in the room as it was still daylight outside. The cloaked man noticed that the boss was sitting at a giant business desk and a lounge office sort of chair was before him. 'Guess that is where I am supposed to sit…' he thought before he sat down and looked at the boss again.

After finishing up some paper work he looks up at the cloaked man. "No need to hide yourself son, you can remove your hood," he said with a kind smile. The cloaked man slowly took his hood off, revealing him to be wearing a mask that covered the right side of his face. The boss smiled at him. "Now that's better isn't it?" he said with a friendly smile.

The cloaked man nodded his head. "A little sir…" he said being a slight nervous. The boss smiled and chuckled. "You can relax son, I am not going to be like a sergeant in the war and start giving you hell…" he said as he laughed. "I am not as harsh as most people would think as I don't go out as much as I used to do in my younger days…before I got into a bad accident that cost me more than it should have…" he said before he came around the desk on a wheelchair and rolled to the cloaked man. "As you can see for yourself…" he added as he stopped the chair before him. The cloaked man looked surprised as he saw this man, who was supposedly going to be his boss, in a wheelchair. "Yes indeed…" he replied softly.

The boss settled comfortably in his wheelchair and looks at the cloaked man head to foot. "Do you have a name son?" he asked as he laced his hand onto his lap. The cloaked man looked down into his lap before he answered, "Erik…My name is Erik…"

Kat smiled as she started to pour them some tea, as what the boss takes as he does with every interview. The boss smiled at Erik's reply. "Well Erik…I have been told much about you," he started to say to Erik. "More specific, your talent being a magician, architect, designer and also a composer," he went on, taking a look at Kat's direction before looking back at Erik. "But I have only just met you and only know from what I have been told…" he said.

"And you won't hire me right off the bat because of that…" Erik said, thinking that is what he was heading to say. The boss shook his head. "Oh no my dear boy, I am going to hire you," he said with a half-smile. "But that isn't what I was going to talk to you about…" he said with a sad sigh. "I was going to talk to you about the high possibility that you might take my place as running Coney Island…" he said looking at Erik with honesty. Erik's eyes widened at those words, showing his surprise. "Me Sir?" he asked almost speechless. The boss chuckled at Erik's question. "Surprising I know…but I originally picked Kat here to take my place…" he said as Kat then came in with their tea and started to serve it to them. The boss looked at Kat with a friendly smile. "But she refused the offer and suggested I choose you instead…" he added as Kat handed him his cup of tea.

Erik looked up at Kathleen surprised. She refused to be the new owner of Coney Island? Why did she?

Kat smiled at him as she handed Erik his tea, and walked away with the tea tray. Erik then glanced back at the boss who was now taking a sip of his tea. "Excellent tea as always my dear girl…" he said to Kat before looking back at Erik. "Yes, I was as surprised as you were but as she will no doubt possibly tell you later I decided to trust her judgment on choosing you…but not as easy as you think," the boss said as he settled his cup back in his lap. "Because you have only met me and don't trust me to take the position so easily…" Erik guessed before taking a sip and was surprised at how delicious the tea was.

The boss chuckled with a smile. "You know how some things work in the business part of the world…" he said with a knowing tone. "I haven't become as talented as you have been told or survive this world on my own without knowing some things…" Erik said with a smirk.

The boss nodded his head in understanding. "Smart man, I can see why Kat suggested you," he said before taking another sip of his tea. "But as you said, I have only met you, knowing only what Kat has told me of your talents and I am not going to give something as important to me is running this place and leave all the people that work here in your hands so easily…" he said trying to get back onto the subject. "But I am going to give you a chance to prove to me that I should give everything to you…and show me that Kat was right on choosing you as my successor…" he added as he settled the now empty tea cup back into his lap. Erik nodded his head in understanding, knowing that this possibly was going to be a challenge for him, as he expected as much if he wanted to stay here. "I understand sir…" he said before taking a sip, finishing the tea. Kat then came in and took their tea cups and smiled at them both before going back and settled them on a tray and went out into the hall to settle the tray in the kitchen area of this building. The boss smiled at Erik. "You will start off by working with Kat in her acts…" he said with a smirk. Erik again looked surprised.

"Beg pardon?" Erik asked. The boss chuckled at the look on Erik's face. "The best way you are going to learn how things work here is by working with her, as she is the mother figure here to every freak here on Coney Island," he explained to him. "And also a good place for you to start and put your talents to a good use…" he added with a smirk. Erik then relaxed and calmed a bit. "I see…" he said his voice sounding a bit shaken. The boss laughed at his tone. "Don't worry…Kat is nicknamed an Angel for a reason…she will be a good guide and friend for you here," the boss said guessing that Erik was a bit scared of Kat. Erik chuckled.

"That is not what worries me…" Erik said. "What worries me is that I already have two other women that I already owe for keeping me from being found by my enemies…" he explained. The boss again chuckled.

"I see…but don't worry…" he said, reaching a hand to gently touch Erik's shoulder. "Kat will be sure those two women won't give you much trouble, she is more than she appears to be…" he said with a smile. Erik looked confused as the boss leaned back in his wheelchair. "What do you mean?" Erik asked. The boss shook his head at Erik. "I cannot tell you…it is for her to tell you, not me," he said before looking at the door as Kat entered.

Kat walked to Erik's side and stood by him. The boss lifted his hand to Kat. "Kat will show you to where you will be living in…" he said looking at Kat with a friendly smile.

Erik nodded his head before slowly getting up and out of his chair and shook the boss's hand. "Thank you sir," Erik said while shaking his hand. "Don't thank me son, thank Kat here," the boss said before he started to roll his wheelchair back to his desk. "And Welcome to Coney Island," he said as he moved. Erik smiled at him before he looked at Kat. Kat smiled back at him and started to head to the door. "Right this way…" she said as she got to the door. Erik then followed Kat outside the office and had a smile on his face; something told him that he was going to have a change in his life.

When Erik left, the boss took a cough into his hanky. "Looks like I was right to start choosing my successor…" he said as he looked inside and saw that there was blood in his hanky. "Don't disappoint me Erik…Nor Kathleen…" he said softly before putting the piece of cloth into his pocket and started working out more paperwork.

Kat smiled at Erik as they walked outside. "Looks like it went well," she said as they got close to a tower that wasn't near where the others were living. Erik noticed this, and nodded his head to agreeing with her. "Yes, it did," he said before looking at her. "This place isn't near the living area part of Coney Island," he said with a knowing but confused tone.

Kat smiled and nodded her head. "Yes it isn't," she said before she got to the door and pulled a key out. "And that is because I guessed that you would want to live above everyone so to speak, plus not be around so many other people…" she said as she unlocked the door and then handed him the key, before heading inside.

Erik was amused by her reason. "You know me too well Kat…" he said before following her inside and going up what he guessed was a staircase that lead up to a trap door. "What is this place?" he asked as he went up the stairs with her. "It was once used for storage but I changed it up to be your new home…" she said when she got to the top. "Or should I say your new realm?" she added before pushing a wall panel that made the trap door slide to the side. Kat smiled before stepping up the rest of the stairs and walked into the darkness as Erik looked after her. He soon followed after her and looked around in the darkness. "Kat?" he asked getting a bit worried not knowing where she was.

Suddenly the lights were turned on and Erik could now see that he was in the center of the room by the entrance. The room or what looked like to him the entire floor of the tower. "This place…" he softly whispered as he looked and turned around. "It is huge I know, but that is not the entire surprise of what I did here…" she said as she then walked to one part of the floor and pulled what looked like a wall lamp and it pulled back a wall and revealed to be a bedroom…a bed room with a unique looking canopy bed with a night stand with a candlestick by it. "That is your bed chamber…" she said as she stepped out of the shadows she was in and walked into the bedroom and opened a pair of balcony doors that were covered by a heavy curtain and it had a view of the entire island.

Erik looked amazed as he stepped onto the balcony and looked at her with a smile. "You did all this?" he asked. Kat looked at him with a smile. "There is one more thing I have for you…and this one I believe you will be very well pleased with…" she said as she took his hand and lead him back into the main room and stopped him at a spot and then went further into the darkness. The sound of a covering being pulled off of something huge and Kat's grunting echoed. "I was surprised that I found this in here when this place was filled with storage stuff, but I had it tuned up and it works perfectly," she said before running around it and then started to light a candelabra that she had settled on the seat. When it was lit she then settled it on the top of the huge object. She then opened a lid that was before it and then went to the seat and opened it taking out…MUSIC SHEETS!

Erik saw them and he looked surprised and started to walk to her. "Is this…?" he softly asked. "Yes…a piano," Kat said stepping slowly back with a smile. "I knew you would miss music so I thought that you would like to have something that you can use in case you want to play some of it…And I also got you some music sheets in case you ever want to compose again…" she said holding her hands tightly, secretly praying that he wasn't upset.

Erik smiled as he ran his hands over the keys on the piano and then the music sheets. Then he looked at Kathleen with a smile that would make one think that he had been given a treasure. "Thank you Kat…" he said softly.

Kat smiled at his reaction, and was doing her best to not cry of joy. "You like it?" she asked it. Erik went to her and gently grasped her shoulders. "It's perfect…" he said with a smile. He then looked into her eyes and a memory ignited in him, one that involved him looking down into the same pair of eyes and demanding a woman to make her choice… "What is it?" she asked gently touching the top of his hands, which snapped him out of it. "I'm sorry, for a moment I remembered something…" he said as he moved his hands away. "Something that happened a long time ago…" he added as he then walked back to the piano.

Kat frowned and looked down into her hands, knowing very well what he possibly could be thinking about. "Want to talk about it?" she asked. "No…" he replied shaking his head. "I have been trying to forget about that moment, and it is something that you shouldn't concern yourself with…" he said before looking up at her. "The boss said that I am to start assisting you in your acts…" he said trying to start a different subject.

Kat smiled and then looked up at him. "Yes…I think I know what you can help me with…and I also think this might be a good way for you to start as well…" she said with a smirk on her face. "What is it?" Erik asked, looking confused.

"Being my new dancing partner for my new act," Kat answered her smile never going away as Erik looked completely shocked…

-

**Author's note:** The boss of Coney Island I didn't name was cause it would be a bit hard for me to give him a full name, and also as to what happened to him to get him in the wheelchair, and his illness I am going to leave up to your guys imagination. ^_^

And I actually enjoyed the idea of Kat giving him a good place to stay and also a piano with some sheet music for him. How can our phantom live without music? It would never be the same!

And I hope you guys love this chapter's ending. I always wanted to try and leave one of my chapters with a funny ending.

Also to let you guys know the next chapter I am going to be having a song in it!


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Kat smirked as Erik arrived for his first dancing lesson; the poor man nearly had a heart attack when she told him he was going to be her new dancing partner. "But it will be a good start," she said to him. "And if you are nervous because of not knowing how to dance I am willing to also be your teacher," she said to him to reassure him that he wasn't going to be forced to be swallowing a boa or make him start being a clown for her act. She already had plenty of them to help her out in the funny business. Erik calmed a bit at her suggestion and agreed to be her partner and also her student.

And luckily for him, today was his first day and it was her free time. Kat smiled as she then lead him to the empty hall that was to be the place where Kat was going to perform, with Marius standing by a record player setting up the music for them. Erik noticed him and raised a brow wondering who he was, but then remembered that he was Marius.

"You know Marius?" he asked softly. Kat smiled. "Yes…he is my adopted brother…who helped me after I ran away," she answered. "I had helped him with his injury he had earlier that day and he said I would be welcomed to his people…" she explained to him. "When I ran away he found me hiding in a small back house in shelter against the thunder storm that afternoon," she added before she slipped off Erik's coat and settled it to the edge of the stage. Erik felt a bolt of recognition when Kat mentioned a back house. "Back house?" he asked softly as a memory of him hiding in a back house some years ago. Kat smiled at his question knowing he was remembering that night they had together, but Erik still doesn't know about her being there.

'Soon either he will figure that out on his own or that I will tell him myself,' Kat thought as she slowly stood before him. "Let's get started shall we?" she asked him before she raised her arms up in a waltz position. Erik looked down a bit nervous and for the first time in his life, shy as he moved one hand to her waist and another to lace with her other hand.

"Like this?" Erik asked softly and with a slight squeaky voice. Kat giggled softly as she thought his nervousness cute. "Very good," she said with an encouraging smile. "But don't be so nervous Erik," she added with a gentle pat on his shoulder where her free hand was. "Relax yourself," she said to him with a serious expression.

Erik looked at her with a bit of nervousness. "Sorry, this is sort of new to me," he said before he took a breath to relax. "It's understandable," Kat said nodding her head in understanding. "You feel relaxed?" she asked him as she raised a brow. Erik nodded his head after taking a breath. "Good," Kat said before she looked at Marius and nodded her head to him. Marius nodded his head back to her before he turned on the record player and settled the needle on the record. "Now let's start with the waltz," she said to Erik before she slowly started to get him to lead.

Erik automatically looked down to watch out that he doesn't step on her feet. 'Bad move, or in this case, bad step opera ghost,' Marius thought as he watched Erik and Kat. He gently bit his lip to fight back a laugh as he saw Erik step on one of her feet.

"Ow!" Kat said with a wince as Erik stepped away from her with worry. "I'm sorry!" Erik said as he looked at her foot that she was gently wagging back and forth. "It's all right," she said with a soft hiss before she took a breath to calm herself down. Kat then looked at Erik with a serious expression again. "This is your first lesson to remember Erik," she said to him.

"Never look down to your partners' feet while dancing, it causes you to be more nervous than before when you started," she explained to him. "That and some people will think you are looking down at her chest," Marius said with a smirk which resulted in Kat glaring at him. "Excuse me, but are you the dancer or am I?" she asked Marius with her hands on her hips. Marius raised his hands up in surrender, knowing that Kat was a better dancer then he was. "You are sis, you are," he said with a smirk. "But my opinion as an audience should be given out right?" he asked her. Kat raised a brow behind her mask as she then knew that Marius had some sort of point. "Your opinion is noted Marius," she said before she looked at Erik.

"Okay, first thing is you need to do is stop thinking," she said to him as she slowly walked around him with her hands on her hips. "And I suppose you know of a way to do that?" Erik asked as he stood still but kept his eyes on her. Kat smirked and nodded her head as she stood next to him. "Indeed I do," she said as she turned to face him by his side. "If I am not mistaken you compose music for a hobby, correct?" she said to him with a knowing smirk on her face.

Erik nodded his head. "Yes," he answered. Kat gave him a smile that Erik thought to be only described as 'angelic'.

"Well that is how we can get you to relax," she said in a cheerful tone. Erik looked at her puzzled. "What do you mean?" he asked her. Kat again smiled at him before she decided to sing to him, knowing it might be able to help him understand better. She then moved her hand slowly over his eyes as if she was hypnotizing him, but really wasn't. _"Close your eyes for a minute, listen…Listen to the song,"_ Kat started to softly sing to him and Erik slowly closed his eyes. _"Think of nothing on what to do, let your body be in control,"_ she sung to him as she slowly walked around him and stopped when she was behind him. _"Listen to the song, let your ears hear the tunes, the music ring in your soul,"_ she went up behind him to gently sing-whisper into his ear as she gently touched his shoulder blades. _"Doesn't your body wish to move with the rush? Like your being pulled into the tide…?"_ Kat sung to him before she stepped away hearing Erik give a shaky gasp.

She smiled at that before she started to walk around him again. _"Still don't feel it inside…?"_ she sung the question before she stepped to his left side, gently brushing her fingers up his left arm. _"Listen…Listen to the song, can you feel the singing in your veins? Are your muscles moving on their own? And your heat feel alive?"_ she sung to him feeling his arm tremble to her gentle touch.

_"Listen…Listen to the song,"_ she continued to sing to him, and saw that he was about to open his eyes. Kat stepped before him and rested her fingers gently on his eyes lids. "_Keep those eyes closed a bit longer,"_ she sung before she stepped away from him.

_"Give it a moment or two…Listen…Listen to the song,"_ she gently sung to him in case she spooked him by her sudden touch. "_Let your body dance to its will, listen…Listen to the song,"_ she went on before she slowly stepped away keeping her eyes on his face. She could see that her song was helping him not only relax but also understand dancing a little better. She smirked at this before she slowly walked before him. _"Close your eyes for a minute, listen…Listen to the song,"_ she sung to him seeing Erik completely relax to her song. _"Think of nothing on what to do, let your body be in control,"_ she went on, knowing her song was now done. _"Listen…Listen…Listen to…the…song,"_ Kat finished singing her last lyric of her song.

Erik was surprised as he felt all that Kat was singing. He then figured out that when Kat asked him of his talent as a composer, she knew that he would relax himself and also understand how she dances. Not because she practices the moves, but because she dances from the heart. 'She dances in the way of a puppet, only it is the music that is her strings,' he thought before he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Feel relaxed now?" Kat asked him with a knowing smile.

Erik smirked at her with a knowing look. "Yes, and I believe that you just showed me a way to help me dance easier," he replied. Kat smiled at him again.

"I knew that you would catch on," Kat said as she stepped towards him. Erik smirked at her. "Kat, you knew that I am a composer and that my love of music would help me," he said to her. "Who are you really Kat?" he asked her, wanting to know. Kat looked down sadly before she looked back up at him. "Let's just say that you are not the only ghost that has a love for the arts," she replied. _'She must be someone in hiding like me,'_ Erik thought as he saw her reaction. _'Guess this is a mystery I'll need to solve when I become the new manager of this place,'_ he added before he looked down at her and put his hand around her waist pulling her slightly closer to him.

Kat smirked at him as she rested her hand on his shoulder before he took her hand. "Ready to learn to dance?" she asked him with a smirk. "I am the opera ghost, I am always ready to learn a new art," Erik replied with a teasing smirk.

Kat giggled at his reply. "Well then Mr. Ghost, let's get started," she said before their lesson began.

Four months passed for Erik before it was his opening night. He felt nervous as he was getting prepared for his first performance. "I crashed a chandelier and managed to snatch a diva away in front of a live audience for Pete's sake," he muttered to himself as he fixed his costume mask that Kathleen designed for him, as the character that Kat told him he was going to portray as. "Are you nervous?" Erik heard a voice asked him from behind. Erik turned around to see a small boy that appeared to be either four or five years old. "Who are you boy?" he asked as he looked at the child. The boy blinked his eyes that Erik noticed they were the same color as his own. _'Even his hair is the same color as Kathleen's,'_ he thought before the boy spoke to him.

The boy smiled at him before he giggled slightly. "My name is Gustave," he replied before he walked up to Erik and picked up a spare mask that wasn't Erik's. "I've never seen you around here Gustave," Erik said as he watched the boy slip the mask on and looked at himself curiously in the mirror. "That's because I go to school when my mama works," Gustave said before he tilted his head side to side seeing how his reflection looked in the mirror. Erik smiled at the boy's curiosity. "And does your mother know you are here?" Erik asked as Gustave put the mask down. Gustave looked up at him with an angel's smile. "Yes and no," he replied. "She knows I am here backstage but she doesn't know I am in this dressing room," he added, explaining to Erik his reply. _'He's smart for a boy his age,'_ Erik thought as he smirked at the boy. Gustave then walked up to Erik looking at his mask curiously.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" the boy asked Erik. "Are you hiding from an evil person too?" Gustave added as if he figured Erik's reason on his own. Erik was surprised by the boy's sudden question.

"No, Gustave, he has a different reason," a voice from the door way of Erik's dressing room. Erik and Gustave turned to the doorway to see that Marius was the one in the door way. Gustave smiled at Marius and ran to the gypsy hugging his legs. "Uncle Marius!" the boy said as he hugged the legs. Erik's eyes widen with surprised as he heard Gustave's words.

'Uncle Marius?' Erik thought as he saw Marius smile down at the boy. Marius smiled at his nephew before he kneeled in front of the boy, resting a hand on the boy's head. "Why don't you go see your mother?" he said to Gustave.

"I am sure she will be happy to see you," Marius added with a knowing smirk. Gustave smiled with joy before he nodded his head. "Okay!" he said before the boy ran out of the room to where he knew his mother's dressing room would be. Marius smiled after the boy as Erik peeked his head out to se Gustave run inside an open door way. "Bright boy isn't he?" Marius asked Erik, looking at the masked man with a smirk. Erik smirked at the question before he stepped back into his dressing room looking at the gypsy. "Yes, he is," Erik agreed before he walked back to put the second mask that he needed for his performance tonight. "Who is his mother may I dare ask?" Erik asked as he tied the mask on.

Erik didn't see Marius look down to the floor sadly before the gypsy looked back up at Erik. "He is Kat's son," Marius said to Erik, who then looked at him with a shocked expression on his face. "What?" Erik asked with a speechless tone.

"The boy is Kat's son," Marius said again looking down to the floor sadly. "Five years ago, when I found her in the back house she took shelter in, she was just waking up after having intercourse with Gustave's father," Marius explained to Erik. "But the man left her while she slept," he added before looking at Erik. "And no, the act wasn't rape," Marius said seeing the question that was popping up on Erik's masked face. "The act was consensual, the man was just either ashamed of deflowering her virginity or he ran off to protect her," the gypsy said before Erik looked at him. "Protect her? From what?" Erik asked wanting to understand more of Kat's story. "From the law that was hunting him down at the time," Marius answered.

"But he should be safe now right?" Erik asked thinking that is he could hide from the police then so can the father of Gustave. Marius nodded his head. "Yes, and we, the Gypsy clan have tabs on him as well," Marius answered. "Does the man know of the boy?" Erik asked softly feeling sad for both Kathleen and her son. Marius shook his head no. "No, he doesn't," Marius answered sadly.

Erik felt his gut twist in pain, anger and sadness. "Has Kat told the boy of his father?" Erik asked. "She has talked to him of his father, even told stories of his father's talents," Marius answered before he smirked at Erik. "They are not horrible I assure you," Marius added before he heard the bell for the performers to be ready.

"Best get ready, and your inventions hopefully work as you say, because the boss will be watching this show," Marius said before he left Erik alone in the dressing room. Erik could only think of how harsh Gustave's father was to leaving Kat while she slept, but then he was one to talk since he did the same thing, only it was with whom he believed to be his love Christine Daaẽ. _'But she was different from before, she wasn't afraid of me that time,'_ he thought as he remembered that night five years ago beneath a moonless sky. But it still puzzled him of her strange change of heart towards him. Five years ago when she had to choose him over that other pig Raoul, she had chosen Raoul. She even came back and gave him the very ring he had offered to her for marriage back to him. He then heard the bell again and remembered the show. _'Oh Lord, I almost forgot!' _he thought as he grasped his cloak and ran to the stage that was under the big top. But thing is for sure to him, if he gets the job as manager then he can use some of his power as the manager to try bring Christine back to his side. Only one thing was puzzling him for the past month: Why was it that when he thought of that night, Kat's face appeared in his mind?

**Author's note:** In this chapter I have my own 'music of the night' sort of moment with Kat teaching Erik the art of dance. And also Gustave is introduced to Erik!

But will Erik be able to figure out Kat's secret past and who the father of young Gustave is?

Keep reading to find out!


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Four years passed on by since Erik had become the new manager of Coney Island. After that performance he performed with Kat and his inventions along with a bit of an illusionist's touch, the act was a hit. The manager gave him the job a week later, which he felt proud of himself of his achievement.

But as he sat at his piano, composing one of his works on his free time, he couldn't help feeling incomplete. He had become the top man in this island theme park, even transformed it to one of the eight wonders of the world. But still he felt something was missing in his life, and he knew what that something was. _'My Christine,'_ he thought as he looked at newspaper clippings and a photo picture of her from an article of her first performance. _'Lost and gone,'_ he thought again as he ran his fingers gently over her face.

Erik sighed before he stood up from his piano and walked to the window of his domain that he had fixed to his liking over the years. He saw outside Kathleen dancing one of her outside summer performances. He felt his heart pounding as he watched her dance like an angel, which he guessed is one of the reasons why she was nicknamed the 'Angel of Coney Island'. She had been a great help to him since he had first arrived here. And also was the most kind hearted person he had ever knew. More kind hearted then Madam Giry was anyway. That woman had thought that she had been the one that helped him get to where he was now in this theme park. _'But I do owe that woman for her help on hiding me from the law and find someone to smuggle me out of France,'_ he thought as he looked away from the window and walked back to his piano.

_'Well, Kat was the one that helped with the smuggling him out of France,'_ he thought with a half smirk. This was one of the mysteries of Kat that puzzled him. Kat had been there to assist him, whether it was with a decision on a business deal or the knowledge of all the talent and freaks here on the island, but not once has she asked him to repay her help. Not in all the four years since he had been here and became manager had she asked him for anything. Which he wondered why that was. But then again Kat was always mysterious and Erik probably wasn't the only one that was puzzled by the woman. _'She must have her reasons for being all mysterious,'_ he thought as he remembered Kat telling him when they first met her here on Coney Island.

_'And she is hiding from the one who took her no doubt,' _he added as he remembered Gustave asking him about his mask. This was another mystery Erik always wondered. Who was the boy's father? Erik had asked Kat one time but she only answered that he will find out when he would figure out who SHE was. Erik had only smirked at her answer and had jokingly teased her when he said that she is full of surprises. But he was more puzzled when she said that he had no idea. That only made his curiosity increase more then it was before. Hence why he had asked his now three loyal minions, Dr. Gangle, Squelch and Squelch's daughter Flick about her. But they told him that they swore to Kat to not tell anyone of her real identity for they would risk Kat's safety as well as her son's life.

He then knew he was going to have to figure out all of Kat's secrets before whoever she was hiding from would find her. But where could he start? He couldn't ask her straight out. She would tell him to find out on his own. Even Marius probably wouldn't answer any of his questions.

"You know if you keep making your face like that, it is going to stay like that forever," Erik heard a familiar voice from beside him. He turned to see that it was Gustave, who was smiling up at him. The boy had a very good talent of sneaking up and surprising him.

"Hello Gustave," Erik said as he received a warm hug from the child. During the past four years, Erik had grown close and fond of the boy, as if he was his own son. Which he knew Kat must enjoy because she never once told him to stay away from the boy. And he probably couldn't keep the child away from him even if he tried. "How have you been since I last saw you?" he asked as Gustave stepped away out of the hug. "Good except..." Gustave started to say but he suddenly looked sad. "Except what Gustave?" Erik asked resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. Gustave looked up at Erik with a sad expression on his sweet face. "It's mother," he said to Erik. "What about her?" Erik asked getting a slight bit worried for Kat.

"She is sad," Gustave replied. "Why is she sad?" Erik asked. Gustave pouted at the question. "I don't know why, but she cries in her sleep and this morning she looked sad," the boy answered. "I think she is lonely," Gustave said when he crossed his arms. "The only times she was happy was when I was born and when she heard you were coming here," the boy added nodding his head. Erik was surprised by the news that Kat was happy at him coming here.

'_Well, she would be considering that I was the first person to be nice to her,'_ Erik thought before he smiled at the boy. "Gustave, are you saying that you wish to make your mother happy?" he asked the boy. Gustave nodded his head.

"Yes, and I think you can do that," Gustave replied. "Can do what?" a female voice asked them from the shadows and made both of them look to see Kathleen coming towards them. Erik smiled as he saw her. "Can do what?" she asked them again guessing they didn't hear her before. Gustave looked away shyly. Erik stood up and smiled at Kat. "Gustave is just wondering if I can do something special for you," he said to her, half lying to cover for Gustave. Kat looked at them surprised.

She then looked at her son with a raised brow. "Is this true Gustave?" she asked him. Gustave slowly nodded his head. "Yes, you just been working so hard and looking sad recently, that I thought that you should be given something back for your hard work," he replied looking at her with a cute pout. Kat smiled at her son before she kneeled down and drew Gustave into her arms giving him a hug as she rested her head atop of his.

"Thanks for the idea sweetie but it wouldn't be fair to other people that have worked just as hard as I have," she said to him with a gentle smile before she looked down at him. Gustave looked at her with sad and cute eyes. "But if we can't do something special for you, then how can we stop you being so sad?" the boy asked his mother with a frown.

Kat smiled at him trying to cheer her son up. "Don't worry my son, I will be smiling happily soon," she said to him before she rested her hands on his shoulders. "Now why don't you go with miss Flick and help her with the bird show she is going to be doing in a few minutes?" she asked him with a loving smile. Gustave's face suddenly brightened up as she heard this. "Okay!" he said excitedly before he ran up to Squelch who was waiting there for him.

Kat stood up and watched her son leave with the strong man, unaware of Erik looking at her. _'She really is an angel,'_ he thought as he smiled. "You do know he has a point," he said to her as he walked to his piano and looked at Christine's picture. "What do you mean?" Kat asked as she turned towards him looking puzzled. Erik slowly formed a smirk on his face before he turned slightly to look at her. "Kat, it's been four years since I first arrived here," he said to her starting to explain his point. "And thanks to your help and guidance I now have become the manager and master of Coney Island," he went on as he rested a hand on the articles on top of his piano still looking at her. Kat took a step towards him.

"Yes you have, but you are where you are now because of your own abilities," she said to him "I was only a helping hand to your achieving your dream," she added as she stood right before him. Erik looked at her with a serious expression. "Kat," he said before he gently took one of her hands into his. "If it wasn't for your help I wouldn't be here," he said to her as she looked up at him.

"You never once have asked me of anything to replay you for your help," Erik said to her as she gently tightened his grip on her hand. "Please Kat," he pleaded to her. "Is there any way I can repay you for all your help?" Erik asked as he looked into Kat's eyes.

Kat froze up at his words as she looked back into his eyes. _'I can't tell him what I really want,' _she thought to herself. _'I can't make him choose when I know very well whom his heart really wants,'_ she added as she tried to stay calm and not blush as Erik held her hand of his own will for the first time in four years. Not including when they were dancing partners. "Well Kat? What is it that you wish for?" Erik asked her looking a bit nervous to her. Kathleen blinked her eyes to break off her train of thought. "Erik, I..." Kat started to say but was suddenly interrupted by Meg Giry and her mother walking into Erik's domain, which made Erik let go of Kat's hand as he turned to look at the photo of Christine again.

He didn't notice Kat blush at Meg's surprising entrance. "Tell me that you saw me!" Meg said asking Erik about the opening day of the Island's summer business. Which Meg was the 'Ooh-la-la girl' of Coney, part of the attractions here on the island, as per Madam Giry's request as Meg's 'producer'. But Madam Giry was only whoring her poor daughter to politicians, investors and those of the press just to help Erik make his act become a huge hit, which Kat knew about. _'Too bad this woman doesn't know what I really know about all those 'business deals' she has her daughter doing behind closed doors,'_ Kat thought as she secretly glared at the vile old woman.

But that wasn't the only reason Kat hated Madam Giry. Kat hated the woman because of how harshly the old hag treated Erik whenever she reminded him of repaying HER of the help she did for him. And reminding him of Christine abandoning him. Which was what she suspected that woman was going to do again.

"The way the crowd cheered for more! I hope you are proud!" Meg continued to say to Erik. The poor girl didn't notice that Erik was still looking at the picture of Christine as he looked at his composed work at the same time. "Did you like the new steps in the new routine? I mean was it appropriate?

I can change it a little bit if you want," Meg said still rambling on. "Yes, of course," Erik said softly half paying attention to Meg. "Whatever you think is best Meg," he added as he then looked over the notes he composed. "All right, and do you think the costume look okay? The crowd seemed to enjoy the view of it," Meg went on. Madam Giry knowing and seeing Erik wasn't even paying attention and looking at the picture of Christine tried to get to stop her daughter from making a complete fool of herself. "Meg!" Madam Giry shouted at her daughter which made Meg stop and look at her. Kat resisted the urge to sigh heavily.

"Can't you see that his mind is elsewhere and at work?!" the woman said to her daughter as she pointed a finger at him. "He isn't listening to your rambling!" she added with a hint of venom.

"Thinking of matters more important then you!" she said at her daughter which made Kat want to slap at the old hag. "Careful Madam Giry, you're forgetting yourself," Kat warned the woman with a glare. Madam Giry looked at Kat with a glare back. "Are you blind Gypsy? Can't you see that he forgot what today is?" Madam Giry asked Kat looking at her like she was stupid.

She then half laughed at Kat before she shrugged her shoulders. "Guess the success of our opening day means nothing compared to the things our dear master must do!" Madam Giry said half looking at Erik. "That is quiet enough!" Erik shouted at Madam Giry as he glared at the woman. The old woman then saw Erik's hand on the picture frame that held Christine's photo. She then glared at him with an annoyed look at Erik knowing the problem that always pops up. "Christine! Christine! Always Christine!" the old woman shouted at him.

"Christine," Meg softly whispered sadly. Kat looked at Meg knowing what was going to happen with Erik and her mother. "Meg leave, please," Kat said to the girl. Meg trusting Kat left with Marius, who always seems to be popping up around Meg wherever she goes. Kat had often wondered if the gypsy had a crush on the girl.

"In Paris when the mob and the police hounded you, was she there? No, we were! Who concealed you safely and managed to smuggle you out of France to here?" Madam Giry asked Erik as he looked away from the woman.

"My daughter and I, not Christine!" Madam Giry said knowing that Erik was listening to her. "I don't see the problem," Erik said turning away with his back to the hag. But that woman wasn't going to stop there. "Who helped you since you've been here? Who helped you finance your inventions for your first performance? Who stayed with you, helping and advising you?" she went on getting closer to Erik that made Kat ball up a fist in anger. "Who helped you with all of the politicians? Lured investors and reporters to your act as it became a hit?

Not her!" she kept going, not sparing Erik of her harsh words. _'Neither did you hag!_' Kat thought as she glared at the old woman. 'They were already going to the act long before you used your daughter like a whore!' she added in her head before she heard Madam Giry add more pain to Erik.

"We love and idolize you," Madam Giry said to Erik who was slightly shaking. "While she shunned you and despised you!" the old hag went on, stabbing Erik straight in the heart with her words. "She chose Raoul, his beauty and youth were more appealing to her, hence why she married him!" Madam Giry said which made Kat's blood boil. Kat was about to give that greedy old hag a piece of her mind but was stopped by Erik's sudden shout. "Enough!" he shouted with a sharp turn looking at Madam Giry, forgetting that Kat was there.

"You and your daughter will be repaid as I promised you would," Erik said with a shaky voice and a hint of venom in his tone as the woman gave him a smirk knowing she got to him. "Good," Madam Giry said with a cold smile before she left, leaving Kat and Erik alone. Erik sharply turned around and pounded his fist on his piano. "Damn that woman!" he shouted out in anger. Kat knew Madam Giry spoke harshly and wounded his heart. She walked to him and wrapped her arms around Erik's waist, resting her head on his back as she hugged him from behind. Erik softly gasped as he felt Kat's arms around his waist. "Kat," Erik sighed softly before he turned his head to look at her.

"I can't bear it to see you in pain," Kat said softly as if sensing the question of his gaze. "I don't know what else I can do to ease it, except this," she added before she slightly tightened her arms around his waist. Erik half smiled before he gently touched one of Kat's hands.

"Kat, loosen your arms for a bit," Erik said to her. This surprised her as she loosened her arms a bit as he asked. Erik then slowly turned around in her arms and was now facing her. Kat wasn't expecting Erik to do this nor him slowly wrapping his arms around her before he pulled her into his embrace. Hugging her close as he rested his head on her shoulder. Kat's face was now pink of blush as Erik held her close.

_'Relax Kat,_' she thought as she hugged him back, giving him somewhat of a shoulder to cry on from Madam Giry's harsh words. _'This is only because you offered to give him a place to hide for a moment,'_ Kat told herself. _'Not because he actually has feelings for you,'_ she added as she gently tightened her arms around his shoulders_. 'But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy this moment,'_ she said mentally to herself before she closed her eyes and savored the feel, scent and pleasure of Erik holding her in his arms. Even if it was for a moment and not a real loving embrace. For four years Kat always watched him from the shadows and in a secret room that Erik knew nothing about. And her feelings for him grew each time she saw him. And when he would sing his longing to hear Christine's singing voice once again, her heart ached in pain for him. If only she could find a way to...

"Mother!" they both heard Gustave shout from the stairway as he ran into the room. Erik and Kat quickly split apart before the boy entered the room in a run. "I know what I want! I know what I want!" he shouted as he stopped before her. "What do you mean my son?" Kat asked as she kneeled before her son.

"I know what I want for my birthday!" the boy said excitedly. "And what is that?" Kat asked. "I want this singer to come here for the summer show!" he said as he pulled out a newspaper article that had the picture of the singer. Kathleen gasped softly as she saw her twin sister's face, Christine's face! "You want Christine Daaẽ to come here my son?" Kat asked as she looked at her son shocked. The smiling boy nodded his head. "Yes! And I want to help too since she seems to be having money problems," the boy said as he looked at the title that said _'Diva's career going out due to financial troubles.'_ "Let me see," Erik said as he had his hand towards Kat. Kat slowly handed him the article and he gently took it from her hand. She looked up at him to see him reading the article and also his face seemed to brighten as he read more of it.

Erik slowly started to form a smile on his face before he looked at the boy. "Is this what you really want Gustave?" he asked the boy. "Think really carefully now, cause if you change your mind later there is no going back," he said to the boy giving the child a chance to change his mind.

Gustave did think about it for a minute before he looked up at Erik and nodded his head. "Yes, I really want this, I want to help Miss Daaẽ and see her in person!" Gustave answered with a brave look that Kat was proud of. Erik smiled at the boy before he nodded his head. "Very well," Erik said before he settled the article on his piano. "I will have Miss Daaẽ come here for your birthday, however," he said before he looked back at Gustave.

"You must not tell anyone about this understand?" Erik said to the boy. "Keep it as a secret surprise till Miss Daaẽ arrives here?" Gustave guessed at Erik's reason for not telling anyone. "Yes, not even Madam Giry and her daughter are to know of this," Erik replied. _'Bet that his real reason for the secrecy is because he doesn't want Madam Giry or Meg to foil my sister coming here,'_ Kat thought before she watched Gustave go and hug Erik's legs. "Thank you!" the boy cried in joy. Erik smiled as he gently touched the boy's back. "My pleasure Gustave," he said to the boy before he chuckled. "Just be sure that you are a good boy and keep getting good grades at school," Erik added looking at Kat with a smirk which made her smile as she was glad that Erik was giving the boy the chore of earning this special present.

"Okay!" Gustave said before he started to leave the room. "Now, to help cousin flick with her pets!" the boy said as he ran out of the room with a big smile on his face. Erik smiled as he watched the boy leave. Kat then looked at Erik with a questioning smirk. "How do you plan on getting the famous Miss Daaẽ to come here?" she asked him.

"It's not like she is going to come here if you ask her," she added as she slowly walked to him with her arms crossed, knowing Erik and her sister's past with each other. Erik sharply turned at her comment. "I don't know, but I'll find a way to lure her here," Erik answered honestly.

Kat smiled at this reaction. "With your permission, I think I can get Miss Daaẽ to come here," she said to him which didn't surprise her when Erik sharply turned towards her. "How can you do that?" Erik asked her. Kat smiled at his question. "Simple, I'll write a letter to her asking if she will come," she answered with a smile. "And I will ask her to write back for her answer," she added before she started to leave the room. "Kat," she heard Erik call for her. She stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder.

"Yes, Erik?" she asked him. Erik couldn't find the words for a minute. But then they came back to him before he spoke. "Thank you for earlier," he said to her. Kat smiled at him, which he found his heart beating a slight faster then usual.

"My pleasure," Kat said with a smile before she left the room, leaving Erik alone. As soon as Kat left the room Erik turned around and sat on his piano seat. He rested his face in his hands as he sighed heavily on relief.

"What is the matter with me?" he said aloud to himself. "One hug and I can't think straight!" he added as he remembered holding Kat in his arms moments ago. He found himself enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. And yet he felt as if he held her in his embrace before. But when?

Erik slowly looked up out of his hands to see the picture of Christine. His feelings towards the face of the woman that once held his heart was somewhat different then when Kat smiled at him moments ago. _'It's because you haven't seen Christine for nearly ten years,'_ his conscience told him. "True but Kat is a wonderful woman," he said aloud before he looked at the music that he had recently composing. _'But Kat can't be the voice of your music,'_ his conscience spoke to him. "Perhaps she can, just need to give her a chance to," he said before an idea suddenly came to him. _'Of course!'_ he thought as he then started to compose more of his music. "Gustave, I think I just found a way to make your mother smile again," he said before he was creating the one song that might become his greatest triumph.

A month later across the vast seas of the Atlantic sea in the mansion of the De Changey, Christine Daaẽ or Madam De Changey as she was titled as, sat in her secret garden conservatory as she had her breakfast. Since she first lived here she would have her breakfast here with Raoul on special occasions. Unfortunately, she now always had her breakfast and tea in this place ever since Raoul had always go out drinking and gambling his family fortune for the last few years. She never figured out the reason of his actions but she had a feeling it had something to do with that one night years ago when she had to choose whether to choose him or another man_. 'He probably is ashamed that a woman saved him, instead of him saving the woman,'_ she thought as she sipped her morning tea.

Christine sighed sadly before she pulled out her special locket, that held a family photo of her mother, her father, herself at the age of ten and her twin sister, Kathleen inside. "Kathleen," she whispered sadly as she gently rubbed her fingers over the picture where her sister's face was. "I wish you were here," she said softly to herself before she heard someone coming.

She quickly put the locket away and grabbed her tea cup faking a sip as she heard her husband come in with a groan. "Must you choose to have breakfast in this room?" he asked her with a gruff as he sat down in the seat across from her. One sniff of his breath and she could tell why he was in a mood this morning. 'He went drinking all night again,' she thought before she took a bite of her breakfast. As Raoul took a messy bite of his breakfast a maid came in holding an envelope in her hand. "What is it Sue?" she asked the maid. "If you please Milady," Sue said as she curtsies to her mistress. "The Postman just come with this letter addressed to you," she added before handing the envelope to Christine.

Christine took the letter from Sue and looked at the return address. "Where's it from?" Raoul asked before he took a sip of his coffee. "America," Christine replied. "A place called _'Coney Island',_" she added before she opened the letter. "America is a land of supposed riches," Raoul said before he took a bite of his food.

"They probably want to invite us to visit or just an ad of sorts," he added as he chewed forgetting his manners...AGAIN. One of his habits he has used for the past nine years from time to time, one of which Christine prayed to God that he would smile Raoul back to bring back his manners. Christine slowly opened the envelope, feeling her heart strangely pound as she pulled out the letter. As she unfolded the letter and saw the first words on the paper she felt her palms sweat. Christine's face went pale white as she read the first sentence.

_'Dear sister,_

I know that you must believe me to be dead after all these years. But I can assure you that I am very much alive. However, for both our sakes, I cannot tell you of how I lived since I was taken from you and our father. But that doesn't mean I wish to see you. You have no doubt seen the return address of this letter. I work at Coney Island as a way to provide for myself and repay a dept to my master and boss, Mr. Y. After reading in the newspaper, Mr. Y is willing to offer you his assistance with your money troubles. With the help of the Angel of Coney Island's son, who asked to help you as his birthday present.

I pray sweet sister that you will write back to me in your reply to the offer of my master's help, for more then just the two of us are involved.

Praying to hear from you soon,  
Kathleen Daaẽ.'  


Christine felt her hands shake as she reread the letter two more times. She felt tears of joy spill down her face as she held the letter to her chest. "She's alive," she said in a joyful laugh.

"What is it Christine? Who is alive?" Raoul asked with his mouth full of food again. Christine at this moment didn't give a damn. "Kathleen," she said with a tearful smile. "Kathleen is alive!" she said to Raoul with a angelic smile.

Raoul looked shocked at her. "How can you be so sure? It could be someone faking this," he said shaking his head in disbelief. Christine shook her head at him. "Who else knows that my sister's nickname is Kat besides you and me, darling?" she said to him with an innocent smile. Raoul seemed to accept that answer before he looked at the letter. "What did she say?" Raoul asked. Christine looked down at the letter again with a joyful smile.

"She writes to me, wanting to see me after all these years," Christine replied. "And her boss has offered to help us with our financial problems," she added before looking up at Raoul. "He is offering me a job," she said before she held the letter to her chest again.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Raoul asked as he stood up at the table, knocking his chair down. "Write to her back this instant and tell her you accept her boss's offer!" he added with a shout this time which frightened Christine a bit. She quickly got up and ran out of the room.

Not because Raoul told her to, nor because she was eager to write to her sister, but because Raoul always scared her whenever he shouted or got angry. She hoped her sister could help her not only with the money, but with her marriage as well. 

**Author's note:** Here in this chapter I got the romance of Kat and Erik to be shown a little but Erik, being the phantom can't help but still love Christine. (First love's are hard to let go.) And now we get the introduction of Christine and Raoul! The maid I named after one of my two grandmothers.

Raoul's behavior I did get from the original musical but I have my reason for him being an ## a bit different then what Webber had for him. If what Christine thought of the reason that Raoul always drank and gambled wasn't clear to you then let me explain. Men, at least from what I read and heard, usually don't like being rescued by women. They prefer being the hero, not the damsel in distress.

One of my blocks I had with this story was how I was going to get Christine to accept the offer without giving the phantom away to her. But then it hit me like a ton of bricks. If Christine sees that the letter is from her long lost twin, she would want to see her no matter what. Wouldn't you if you had a long lost sister? ^_^

Sadly no song in this chapter but there is a call out to one of my favorite songs in the original musical 'Till I hear you sing'. Which was one of the songs my heart cries for every time! Thank you Rami!

As for Madam Giry having Meg sleeping with all of the men that are 'important' as meg would say, how Kat knows of that obviously involves with her band of gypsies that are on Coney Island...but the question is...NOT GONNA TELL YA! Another mystery twist I have in there for you to spot!

What will happen to our Angel of Coney Island and her beloved Phantom?  
Keep reading to find out!


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Back on Coney Island a month had passed since Kat had sent the letter to Christine. Kat had actually started to get anxious and worried that her sister might've not gotten the letter from her. But what could she do except wait?

Still Kat hoped that her sister wrote back. _'Well she married that spoiled brat, Raoul,'_ Kat thought as she was swimming in the indoor pool of Coney that was only reserved for the staff, as she would always do on her days off. She stopped half way of the pool to take a break and floated on her back to rest her legs and arms. Kat rested on her back swimming with her eyes closed as her memories of the time with her sister as a child. _'I miss you Christine,'_ she thought as the flash of her sister's face popped in her mind.

Then the memory of Gunner snatching her away in the sack flashed in her mind which startled her, making her slightly choke on some of the water of the pool. Kat coughed out the water trying to clear her lungs before she hear a knock at the pool door. "Who is it?" Kat asked as she wiped the water out of her nose. "It's me, Erik," she heard from the other side. "Can I come in?" Erik asked almost sounding nervous. "Yes," Kat answered before she turned her back to the door and dived underwater to the steps of the shallow end of the pool as Erik entered the pool area. Kat popped up from under the water going up the steps of the shallow end of the pool. She could feel Erik's eyes on her back as she picked up her robe and slipped it on, making sure he didn't get a glimpse of her face.

"You have something you wish to discuss with me?" she asked him as she picked up her mask that was the same color as her swimsuit, which was white. She didn't see that Erik was staring at her dumbfounded as any man would when they see an angelic gorgeous looking woman. Erik sharply shook his head before he slowly walked around the pool going towards her.

"Yes, you received a letter a few minutes ago," he said to her as she tied her mask on. "Who is it from?" she asked him as she turned towards him. "Surprisingly, it's from Miss Daaẽ," Erik replied as he pulled out the letter from his pocket and handed it to her. _'Please tell me he didn't open it or Christine wrote my name for the address,' _she thought as she took the letter from him. She saw that Christine didn't write her name on the envelope. _'Thank God,'_ she thought before she opened up the letter. "What does she say?" Erik asked as he tried to sneak a peek at the letter. Kat moved the letter away from his gaze.

"Patience," she said to him with a teasing smirk. "I'll tell you what her answer is," she said before she started to read the letter. A smile appeared on her face as she read the letter before it slowly turned into a worried frown.

_'Dear sister,  
I write back to you as you requested. And both my husband and I would very gladly accept your boss's praposal of giving me a job. I'm eager to seeing you after all these years of being apart. I never stopped thinking and wishing to see you again. I know I can't ask you what happend all those years ago as you warned me of the danger at the risk of other people then just the two of us, but surely you can tell me when we meet face to face? You can't blame me for the questions that are now buzzing in my mind as I write this letter to you._

Please write to me as quickly as possible for I am eager to hear from you again.

your beloved twin sister,  
Countess Christine Daaẽ De Chaungey,

_P.S: I just remembered about your place of work. What is your job at Coney Island?'_ the letter said which Kat felt a bit nervous and worried. "She's accepted the job offer," she said before she folded up the letter and slipped it into the pocket of her robe. "Good," Erik said with a smile before he noticed Kat's face was as white as her mask and robe. "What is it? Why is your face so pale?" he asked her as he gently touched her shoulder looking concerned.

Kat shook her head at him. "It's nothing," she replied before she started to turn away. Erik grabbed both of her arms and made her look at him. "Kat," he said softly to her. "I've known you for nearly five years enough to notice that something that bothers you isn't 'nothing'," he said to her looking directly into her eyes.

"Tell me Kat, what is bothering you?" he asked her as he gently rested both of his hands on her shoulders. Kat sighed heavily looking downward before she looked back into his eyes. "The way she said yes to the offer," she said to him.

"It looked like to me that her husband was the one that said she should take the job, like she had no other choice but answer 'yes' or face the consequences of saying 'no'," she explained to him. "You suspect he is being abusive?" Erik asked her. Kat shook her head undecided about the matter. "I don't know, but what with all those rumors of him gambling, I wouldn't be surprised if he also drinks when he does it," she said honestly. Erik nodded his head in agreement. "Neither would I," he said to her relaxing his hold on her shoulders. He then noticed Kat's eyes, he had seen her for four years and he never noticed what color they were. "Your eyes," he said softly to her. "I never noticed what color they were," he said to her with a half-smile. Kat lightly blushed at his words.

"I get them from my father, my REAL father," she said to him, feeling a bit sad as she never saw her father since she was a child. Erik then remembered he had yet to repay her for her help, knowing that Kat wouldn't talk to him about her past. "Kat, you never did say what I could do to repay you for your service all these years," he said to her with a raised brow at her. Kat looked away from him with a blush on her face. "There is nothing," she said to him. Erik touched her chin and lifted it up so she looked at him.

"Kat, I know you're lying," he said as he moved his face closer to hers. "There is nothing, when I know that you won't be able to give me what I want," she answered him honestly. "What makes you think that Kat?" he asked her, surprised by her reply. Kat shook her head at his question. "Because I know you well enough is why," she said before she tried to walk away but Erik refused to let her go. "Tell me Kat," he said to her as he held her arms tight but not too tight to leave bruises. They both struggled getting closer to the edge of the pool. "Ahh!" Kat screamed as they both suddenly fell into the pool.

Erik came up softly coughing as he wiped his now wet hair back from his masked face. He heard Kat coughing as she came out of the water. "You all right?" he coughed as he took his mask off and wiped the water off his face. "Yes," Kat said before she coughed. As she took her mask off to fix her hair and wiped the water from her face, Erik fixed his hair back with a wet hand.

"And you?" she asked as he was putting his mask back on. "I'm fine, just a bit embarrassed," he said as he slowly turned around and saw Kat trying to tie her mask back on. "Let me help you with that," he said to her as he gently touched her hands to stop from her tying.

Kat had wanted to refuse his help but she changed her mind as she felt his hands on top of hers. She moved her hands to settle her mask comfortably on her face. "Just tell me when the strings feel right for the mask," Erik said before he tired the strings the first step that he knew on tying a shoe. As the strings got closer to her hair Kat could've sworn she felt her heart beat faster and faster. "Right there," she said softly with her sounding a bit shaky. Erik lightly blushed at the sound of her voice as he finished tying her mask on. "There," he said as he finished tying her mask on. "All done," he added with a smile on his face as Kat turned around to look at him with a giggling smile.

"Yes, a perfect job," Kat said with a smile, not noticing that a strand of her hair was in her face. Erik, however, saw it. "You missed a strand of hair," he said to her before he brushed the strand behind her ear.

Erik felt a slight tingle up his arm as his fingers brushed lightly against the corner of Kat's chin. He gently cupped her chin gently, feeling her smooth skin in his rough hand. Her skin felt familiar to him or at least the way he cupped her chin. As he looked into her eyes a memory flashed in his mind. The memory of that night ten years ago.

When he made love to a woman that looked so much like Christine. "Erik," he heard her softly whisper to him. He blinked his eyes for a second and saw that his hand was now cupping the back of her head while his other hand was pulling her against him. He felt her hands on his chest, which he thought that she must've don that when he pulled her against him. "Kat, why do you feel familiar to me like this?" he asked her softly as his face moved closer to hers. "Maybe because we were dance partners?" she answered him with a shaky voice. Erik shook his head at that. "No, it's not like that," he said to her looking directly into her eyes.

"It feels like I've held you like THIS before all that," he said to her slightly tightening his arm around her to prove his point. Kat lightly blushed as he had pulled her closer to him again. She couldn't tell him that they both made love nearly ten years ago that resulted in their nine year old son Gustave. And it didn't help when Erik was now starting to move his face closer to hers. 'Is he going to kiss me?' Kat thought before she felt his breath on her lips.

"Kat," Erik softly whispered to her before he was about to press his lips to hers. Kat was slowly closing her eyes, preparing to feel Erik's lips. "Excuse me," they both heard a voice from the door way.

Kat and Erik quickly broke apart and saw Marius, who was standing in the door way of the pool hall. He looked at both of them with a raised brow. "Should I come back later? The letter from father can wait," he said to them. Kat blushed at Marius before she started to walk out of the pool. "No, it cannot wait Marius," she said as she got out of the pool. "You know I look forward to hearing from him," she said as she ran to Marius to get the letter. Erik smiled at Kat's eagerness for hearing from her adopted father.

"I don't think I ever met your father," he said as he walked out of the pool and grabbed a fresh towel to try and dry himself a bit. "No, you haven't yet," Marius said as he handed Kat the letter. "When will I meet him?" Erik asked as he took off his suit jacket and twisted it bit by bit to rinse the water out.

"According to this letter he is coming for the summer to celebrate Gustave's tenth birthday," Kat said as she read the letter. Suddenly her face went pale and she was starting to shake. Erik and Marius both noticed her sudden change. "Kat?" Erik asked as he quickly walked up to her gently touching her shoulder. "What's wrong?" Marius asked as he looked at Kat.

Kat held the letter to her chest to hide it from Erik. "It's nothing serious, just getting a bit ill," she answered slowly looking at Erik with a smile. "I think I should go and rest," she added as she looked at Squelch who was one of the people that was guarding the pool door. "Mr. Squelch? Would you be so kind as to help the master back to his office and then find my son?" she asked the strong man before she looked at Marius. "My brother will help me back to my room," she said before she left the pool hall. Leaving Erik to be more worried. _'She isn't ill,'_ he thought as he saw her leave.

'There was something in that letter that frightened her, she wouldn't have Squelch look for her son for nothing,' he added in his mind before he walked with the strong man back to his domain. One thing was certain Erik knew that he was growing to have feelings for Kat. And he wasn't feeling the least bit guilty of the fact the he was starting to forget Christine.

Meanwhile Kat and Marius went to Kat's home that she made and slipped her mask off and threw it on a chair that was by a fireplace. Marius had locked the door before he looked at Kat. "Tell me the truth Kat, what is the reason you are so pale?" he asked her before she looked at him and handed him the letter. "Read it yourself," she said before she went into her room to change into dry clothes. Marius opened the letter and read it.

_'My dear children,  
I write to you to inform you that I will be coming to Coney Island for the summer to celebrate Gustave's tenth birthday. How is my grandson doing? Are you two doing well? And Marius, have you finally confessed your feelings to the young Meg Giry yet? I know from Kat that you follow the girl when you get the chance. Speaking of which, how is the opera ghost doing on solving the mystery of Kat's real identity and past? I ask you this because my 'eyes' have told me that Gunner is spotted in America. Be cautious and on your guard for it seems he is traveling straight towards Coney Island._

Please take care and watch out for him. He might be on the dark path of revenge against Kathleen for what happened nine years ago. Especially since Kat has told me her sweet twin sister Christine is coming to Coney as well.

Keep a weather eye out for my arrival and hope to arrive as soon as the wind can allow me,  
love, your father, king of the gypsies," the letter said which made Marius a bit worried before he looked at Kat's bedroom door. "You do know this is going to possibly destroy all of your hopes on having any chance on being with Erik?" he said to the door before it opened and Kat came out in one of her lounge gowns.

"I know and I don't want the chance," she said as she braided her hair. Marius looked at Kat with disbelief. "Don't want it? From what I saw of you two about to do in the pool, you are flat out lying," he said to her. "He was only acting on impulse," Kat said hiding her blush.

Marius smirked at her. "Oh? Then is it impulse that you spy on him at night when he is alone?" he asked knowing one of Kat's little secrets. She sharply turned to look at him with a surprised look on her face. "How do you know?" she asked with a softy gasp. Marius smirked at her. "I promised you I would keep you safe didn't I?" he said to her before he looked serious. "Kat, you're going to have to tell him about that night nine years ago," he said to her.

"Now that Gunner is coming here, you have to tell him everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING," he added. "I can't tell him everything," Kat said as she shook her head. "Why the hell not?" Marius asked with a slight angry tone. "Kathleen, that man has a right to know that he has a son!" he shouted at her. Kat had flinched at his shout before she covered half of her face.

"Marius, I can't tell him because I don't want to have him choose between me and my sister!" she shouted at her adopted brother. Marius looked surprised at her. "You love him that much?" he asked her as he got down on his knees before her and took her free hand.

"But what of Gustave? Erik isn't going to leave his own son," he said to her with a calm and gently tone of voice. Kat sighed sadly. "I don't know," Kat answered honestly. "All I know is that my sister, her husband, Erik and Gustave are in danger by the one man that is possibly going to hurt anyone of them to get back at me," she said before she slowly started to cry. Marius sighed sadly for his sister before he pulled her into a comforting hug. "Kathleen, maybe it's time you stop hiding in the shadows and come out into the light," he said to her. Kat pulled away and looked at him a bit scared.

"But-but," she started to say but Marius covered her mouth with two fingers. "No buts, Kat," Marius said to her. "Either you tell him everything and let him decide whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with, he is smart enough to choose what he wants," Marius said.

"Or stay silent and loose the only chance of true happiness with the man you love so much to sacrifice your own happiness for," he added before he stood up. "Make your choice Kat, before you miss the chance to choose what you want," he said to her before he left her alone in her own home. Kat stood up and went to slip her mask on. _"Ten long years,"_ she softly sung. _"I've been hiding in the shadows for so long,"_ she added still singing. _"Keeping the light blocked out,"_ she sung as she walked to her bedroom and looked at herself in the giant mirror.

_"Hiding my real face from the one that I love,"_ she sang as she stepped closer still staring at herself. _"I've stayed inside,"_ she sung when she got close enough to rest her hands on her make-up table. _"I've hided away,"_ she sung before she stopped staring at herself and lowered her head. "I've stayed in the shadows," she sung before she then saw the wet letter she received from her sister. A smile formed on her face before she took it and went to her writing desk, writing the letter to reply to her sister. _"But now as my hopes and dreams come within my grasp,"_ she sung as she finished writing the letter in a matter of minutes. _"It is my only chance to win or loose it all,"_ she sung as she addressed the letter. Kat then got into her closet to change into a aquamarine colored costume with a matching colored mask.

_"May the heavens bless me,"_ she sung as she slipped her dress on. _"May the Angels give the courage I need,"_ she sung as she slipped her shoes on before she came out of her closet and stood before her mirror putting on her mask. _"I'll stay inside,"_ she sung as she tied on her mask, looking directly at her own eyes. _"I'll hide away,"_ she sung as she finished tying her mask. _"I'll stay in the shadows..._

No more!" she sung holding the note as she picked up her cloak and slipped it on before she picked up the letter to her sister. Kat then walked out of her house and headed straight to Erik's domain followed by a fellow Gypsy that was one of her personal bodyguard.

Erik was surprised when he saw Kat walk into his office. He then remembered that she was replying to Christine's letter. "You write fast Kat," he said as he finished putting his composed music into the package envelope. "Not as fast as you," Kat said softly as she saw his letter and composed music. Erik smiled at that.

Actually I had the letter written since you sent your first letter to Miss Daaẽ," he said honestly. Erik then took Kat's letter as she handed it to him. They both felt a small rush of pleasure as their fingers brushed against each other.

Kat had to fight back her urge to gasp and shiver at Erik's touch as she took a step back from him. She took the hood of her cloak back off her head before she watched him wrap up the letters with the sheets of music package. "There is something I wish to speak to you about," she said as she laced her hands together before her stomach. Erik walked away and handed the wrapped up package to Flick, who was standing by the doorway entry. He then looked at her. "What is it?" he asked as he slowly walked to her, seeing that she didn't turn around to look at him. "My behavior earlier today no doubt got you curious," she started to say as she slowly turned around to face Erik.

"It did indeed," Erik said nodded his head. Kat looked down to her laced hands. "In my father's letter he said that some of his people have spotted an enemy of mine that is possibly coming here, to America," Kat said before she looked up at him. "That enemy is the man that stole me away from my sister and father when I was a child," she said to him her voice a bit shaky. "The same one that you ran away from years ago the same time you were with Gustave's father?" Erik asked guessing the event that happened that very night.

Kat nodded her head 'yes'. "Yes," she said before she looked down at her hands again. "And it is why that I've been so mysterious," she added as she walked to his piano and sat on the piano seat.

"To not only protect my son, but also his father and aunt, my sister," she said as she fought the urge to shake like a leaf. Kat looked up at him, feeling her heart pounding a million miles. "Which is why I'm willing to tell you my secrets that I've been hiding all these years," she said before she rested her hands on the seat. "But not right at this moment," she quickly added sensing Erik about to ask her questions. "Not when you have to prepare for Christine Daaẽ coming here," she said with a shaky voice again.

Erik saw her shake slightly, knowing that saying all of this must be hard for her. Especially when he knew that this man might harm Gustave to take his revenge out on her. He walked to Kat and kneeled before her, taking both of her hands into his. "Kat, I promise you that I will keep both you and Gustave safe from this madman," he said to her, knowing that this would not only help calm her down but also know she would want him to. Kat relaxed somewhat before she looked directly into his eyes. "Erik, thank you," she said to him. Erik smiled at her sweetly which made her heart skip a beat. "No trouble Kat, you and Gustave are dear to me," he said to her. "I would do anything for you two," he said as he gently touched Kat's cheek.

Kat blushed at Erik's words before she looked down at his hand which still laced with hers. "Erik, do you still want to repay me?" she asked him, knowing that this was possibly the only chance she had. Erik nodded his head. "Of course," he replied. "Have you changed your mind?" he asked her.

"Yes," Kat replied nodding her head before she looked back up at him. "But I will tell you what I want after I tell you one of my secrets," she said to him before he spoke to her. Erik smirked at her before he chuckled. "Still wanting me to wait?" he said to her. Kat smiled at him teasingly. "Well I am an 'angel' remember? I have to be mysterious after all," she said to him. Erik chuckled again. "Indeed," he said still resting his hand on her cheek.

Kat felt her heart pounding and blood rushing to her cheeks. "When will you tell me?" he asked her. "When you meet Christine Daaẽ," Kat answered him. Erik looked at her surprised. Kat knew that was going to happen.

"I know the history between you two," Kat said to him as she gently touched his cheek. "And I know that you want to see her again," she said before she looked down. "I want you to have a clear head when I tell you what I want and one of my secrets to you," she said before she stood up before him, still holding his hand.

Kat was about to walk away but Erik stood up and gently tugged her arm for her to stop. "Kat wait," he said to her. She turned to look at him. He looked at her trying to find the words to come to him. He closed his eyes and started to chuckle. "Why is it when I want to tell you something that the words just don't come out?" he asked her. Kat smiled at his chuckle. "That I can't answer," she said as she took a step towards him. "I don't know why, Erik," she added as she gently raised his chin up to look at her.

"The answer is something you are going to have to discover yourself," she said to him before she did something that she never dared to do before. She kissed Erik gently on the forehead! Erik softly closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure to Kat' kiss.

"Good day, Erik," she said softly to him before he heard her leave and this time he let go. He swore he felt that kiss on his head before.

**Author's note:** Kat and Erik almost kissed! Oh my goodness!

And Gunner is on his way to Coney Island?! Oh no!

Well I had to bring the villain back! And what is Christine going to think when she meets Kat as the Angel of Coney Island?

Guess this summer on Coney Island is going to be getting a little hot!

Keep reading to find out!


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Christine couldn't contain her excitement as she looked out on the rail searching for a glimpse of where their ship was going to dock. It was only three weeks ago that she received a letter from both her sister and her new boss, Mr. Y. She had to admit that Mr. Y was a very excellent composer judging from the composed Aria she received with the two letters. But what touched her the most was what the song was about, love. A subject she knew very well.

Love was what had made her career as a Diva. Love was the one that put her in a place that made her have to choose between her now husband or another man that had given her voice and her career. Love was what that other man had been denied all his life. Love was what was dying in her marriage. Or at least what she had once believed to be love. She was starting to think her twin sister was right about Raoul as she slowly started to walk back into her cabin on the ship. She wasn't surprised when she found the room empty. Raoul, she had no doubt, had gone off to drink at the bar on the ship again. Christine couldn't decide whether she should be ashamed, guilty or disappointed in her so called 'husband' and his drinking and gambling habits.

She only hoped that he wouldn't start a fight or sleep with another woman of the red light business. And also doesn't forget that they both came on this ship to Coney Island. Because if he did, she wasn't going to be waiting for him nor look for him when their ship docked.

And she wouldn't feel any guilt or regret when that happens. _'Nearly married to him for ten years and I'm the only one that is trying to make our marriage work,'_ she thought as she sat on the lounge sofa in her cabin room. As she was about to relax and look over the Libretto of the song, there was a knock at the door. _'Who could that be?' _she thought to herself as she went to the cabin door. Christine opened her door a small crack and saw a tan skinned man with dark brown hair and beard with sea blue eyes. From his appearance and orange-yellow mixture of clothing, Christine couldn't see any danger from him. "Yes?" she asked the man. The man smiled at her before he bowed to her half way like a gentleman to her.

"Pardon me, Miss Daaẽ," he said to her politely with a gentlemanly like tone. But from his accent, Christine could tell he was a European. "But I was wondering if I could come in? I know this is odd but I saw your husband in the bar and thought to come and keep you company," he said as he straighten up from his bow. Christine closed her eyes as the man mentioned her husband.

"How is my husband?" she asked softly. The odd man gave her an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry to tell you this Miss Daaẽ, but the Viscount is dead drunk asleep in my troupes' cabin at the moment," he replied. "He, shall we say, got attracted to one of my dancers?" he said trying to explain in a polite way of Raoul now possibly cheating on her in a drunken state. Christine felt as if Raoul had slapped her with this act.

She smiled at the man. "Do please come in sir," she said after checking both way that lead to her room before allowing the man inside. "Would you like something to eat?"

I was planning on ordering room service for dinner," she said as she shut her cabin room door. "Yes, that would be lovely," the man said as he looked around the cabin room. Christine gently pulled the service rope to call for a servant as she kept an eye on him.

The gentle man was looking over the sheet music that she was studying. "You compose?" he asked as he gently touched a few keys on the piano being careful to not play a note. Christine shook her head. "No, that is an Aria I am practicing for my next performance," she said before she walked to the piano and started to put the sheet music away. "Please don't hide it away on my account Miss Daaẽ," the man sad with a friendly smile.

Christine looked up at the man with a raised brow. "Why do you call me Miss when I am actually a married woman?" she asked with a half-smile. The man smirked at Christine.

"Well from the way your husband acted at the bar with one of my dancers and seeing from your expression earlier, I'd say you are not really a married couple," the man said before he sat at the dining table of the cabin room. "Among my people, the husband is always faithful to his wife," he said as he shook his head slowly as one would make a 'tsk, tsk, tsk,' sound. Christine looked at him puzzled. "YOUR people?" she asked before there came a knock at the door. She answered the door and saw that it was room service. She opened the door wider so the servants can carry the dinner inside and set at the dining table. One of the serving men gave a half way bow to the man. "Enjoy your meal with Miss Daaẽ, your highness," he said before he straighten up and left the room.

Christine looked even more puzzled then before when she shut the cabin door. "Are you related to any of the royal family sir?" she asked the man when she slowly walked closer to the table, taking her seat across from him. The man softly chuckled at her words. "No, but I am one. Not like your King and Queen of France or London mind you," he said to her with a friendly smile as Christine looked at him surprised and shocked. "Then you're a king?

An actual king?" she asked in amazement. The man chuckled at her again. "I'm the king of the gypsies actually," he said before he stood up and partly bowed to her.

"King Annibal at your service Miss Daaẽ," he said before he sat back down in his seat. Christine eyes widen at his name. "You're King of the Gypsies? Then you must be acquainted with the Angel of Coney Island!" she said Annibal with a hint of excitement in her tone of voice. The Gypsy king smiled at her proudly. "I am proud to be her adopted father," he said with pride and honor in his tone. Christine covered part of her mouth to hide her giggle. Annibal then served Christine a plate of the dinner meal before them.

"Let's enjoy this dinner first before it gets cold shall we?" he said before he presented her plate before her. Christine smiled at him before she nodded her head. "Yes, lets," she said before she rested a napkin on her lap. Christine then looked surprised as she then saw that the food on her plate was her favorite! "How did you guess this was my favorite?" she asked Annibal with a surprised look on her face.

Annibal formed a smile on his bearded face. "Let's just say that you are much like someone close and dear to me," he answered Christine before he took a bite of the meal on his plate. Christine looked puzzled and then got curious.

"Oh really? Who is it?" she asked him before she took a bite of her meal, keeping her eyes on him as she chewed. Annibal smiled at her as he watched her look at him like a curious child. 'She really is her twin,' he thought before he cleared his throat. "My adopted daughter Kat," he replied before he took a sip of his drink. "The Angel of Coney Island?" Christine asked in surprise. Annibal nodded his head before he took another bite of the meal. "You would be surprised at how much you and her are so similar," he said before he went back to eating his meal leaving a puzzled Christine, who had then decided to finish her hot meal before she was ask the Gypsy King any more questions.

More weeks passed since Christine met Annibal, whom she started to like in her company. He reminded her of her father which she confessed to him of that. Annibal chuckled at that when she told him. "That is exactly what Kat said when I first met her," he said with a happy smile on his face. Christine smiled at him.

"How did you meet her, may I ask?" she asked him before the ship's horn blew. Annibal smirked knowingly. "Welcome to America Christine Daaẽ," Annibal said before he saw Raoul limping towards them. Christine fought the urge to vomit as she looked at her husband. The man had been drinking for the weeks and sleeping with any of Annibal's dancing girls. She made a mental memo to herself to divorce this man as soon as she saw her sister Kathleen. _'Maybe he'll stop being a lazy jackass and get himself the money he spends so easily as he cheats on me,'_ she thought before she looked at Annibal. "So are you joining us on the traveling to the park?" she asked as Raoul took the shot of a drink that would help with his huge hangover.

Annibal smiled at her with a friendly air about him knowing the look on Christine's face showed she was looking ill at the presence of her pig of a husband. "I am not sure, it depends on whom Mr. Y sent to receive us," he replied honestly. Annibal partly bowed to her as he gently kissed her hand.

"But I would be blessed to be in your company Miss Daaẽ," he said giving her a friendly smile that one would be flirtatious. Raoul saw that and his face was starting to turn pink with jealousy anger. Annibal ignored him as he offered his arm to Christine. "Would you do me the honor of escorting you off the ship?" he asked her with a charming smile. Christine fought the urge to smile when she heard Raoul make an angry growl.

"How can I refuse the Gypsy king?" she replied with a friendly smile before she took her hand into his arm. Annibal smiled sweetly at Christine before he started to escort her to the gang plank that leads off the ship. Raoul grumbled to himself before he quickly caught up with them.

Soon Raoul, Christine, and Annibal were nearly surrounded by flashing cameras of news photographers and thousands of voices calling their names along with questions. "Please excuse us," Raoul said as he tried to be an enforcing sort of guard for his wife. One news reporter came up to them looking directly at Annibal. "It is a great pleasure to see you back again here in America your majesty," he said as he had his pen and notepad out. "Are we to assume you are here for the 'Angel son's birthday as you have for the last three times you've visited Coney Island?" he asked. Annibal smirked at the young man. "Of course, what kind of grandfather would I be if I don't visit my own grandchild on his birthday?" Annibal replied with a chuckle. The reporter smiled as he quickly wrote down the answer before he then saw Christine.

"Is that why you are with Miss Daaẽ? Because she is your birthday present to him?" the reporter asked Annibal. Annibal again chuckled at the man's question.

"No, my good man," he replied to the reporter. "Miss Daaẽ is the birthday wish Mr. Y is planning on granting for the boy. Which I find it to be the most ingenious idea he has ever had since he created 'Phantasma'!" Annibal said with great respect. "And what is that wish your Highness?" the reporter asked. Annibal was about to answer before he spotted something coming towards them.

"I believe that will be answered for another time," he said as he pointed to the 'carriage' that had no horse pulling it. Soon the reporters got pictures of the new invention that no doubt Mr. Y invented. Raoul looked at the 'carriage' with disgust.

"This is an insult! Does this Mr. Y think this is funny?" he said aloud. "This is publicity for Coney, Viscount," Annibal said before he saw two familiar faces or rather people standing on top of the carriage in a frozen dance poses. "Are you getting this Charles?" the reporter said to his photographer before the carriage stopped right before them. As soon as the carriage stopped, the two people then moved slowly in a twirl before they both jumped down and went to the side that was presented before them.

The female pulled a secret switch and the carriage side opened up like a carriage door would. The crowd around them gasped as they saw the mighty Squelch standing in the door way. The strong man looked around before he stepped down skipping the small steps that had popped out as soon as the door opened. The photographers nearby had their cameras ready to take a picture of who was going to pop out of the carriage. Christine found herself holding her breath as she saw the outline of a figure starting to come out. Annibal smiled as he saw his son Marius step out of the carriage. Marius smiled as he saw his father before he turned to face the open door way with his hand presented out. The reporters suddenly called out questions and photographers flashed their cameras as they saw Kat, the Angel of Coney Island, step out of the carriage.

**Author's note:** Here is the latest chapter in my recent story Angel of Coney Island.

We meet Annibal again! And he meets Christine! But now that Kat has appeared what will happen next?

And I hope all of you phantom girls love how I written out Raoul. I realized I didn't describe him so I can leave all of you to pick which form of the spoiled rich boy can look like from other versions of our beloved Phantom tale. Also don't worry, I got a special punishment for Raoul later... ^_-

Keep on the watch for the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Kathleen felt her breath almost vanish as she saw her twin sister Christine standing next to Annibal. _'She's here,'_ she thought to herself as she took Marius's hand and stepped out of the carriage. _'She's finally here,'_ she thought again as she and Marius slowly walked up to them. Kat stared at Christine for a few seconds before she suddenly hugged Christine which made the reporters softly gasp and wonder. Christine's eyes widened at the sudden hug.

Kat then released Christine from her hug and looked at Christine with a friendly smile. "I am so happy to finally meet you in person Miss Daaẽ, Kat said to Christine as she held her hands. "It is not every day that one angel of the arts meets another," she said with a giggling smile on her face.

Annibal smirked before he rested his fists on his hips. "Oh? And what about me? I suppose it is too much for a daughter to give her loving adopting father a warm welcome," he said in a humorous tone. Kat giggled at Annibal's words. "Don't worry papa, I saved my special hugs for you," she said before she hugged him with her arms around his neck. Annibal chuckled as he hugged Kat back with his fatherly affection. "Now where is that spirited grandson of mine?" Annibal asked Kat after he hugged Marius.

Kat frowned slightly before she answered. "Sad to say your grandson stayed up late last night for his last day of school," she said before she looked at Marius. "No thanks to brother," she added with a teasing smirk.

Marius shrugged his shoulders. "The boy wanted to celebrate, so I made sure that he got to only for a little while," he said to his father. Annibal chuckled at them both. "My goodness, you two still act like children even though you're all grown up!" he said with a chuckle. Kat smiled at Annibal before she hugged Marius. "Well we are brother and sister after all," she said before she pecked Marius's cheek like a sweet sister would. Marius smirked before he looked at Kat with a knowing smirk on his face.

"We best hurry and escort Miss Daaẽ to Coney before Mr. Y starts to worry," he said to Kat before she let him go. "Yes, you're right," she said before she took Christine's hand and lead her to the carriage. Raoul took a step forward to try and stop them but Marius grasped Raoul's shoulder.

"How dare you sir!" Raoul said as he slapped Marius's hand away. Marius glared at Raoul with the slight sign of disgust. "I should be saying that to the man that uses his own wife as a meal ticket to feed his drinking and gambling habits," he said to Raoul in French so to not let this be discovered by the reporters, at least not yet. Raoul looked at him with wide eyes before his face started to turn pink. Marius then looked to where Kat and Christine was, before glancing back at Raoul.

"Best remember that your actions affect not only your own image but Christine's as well," Marius added in French before he went after the girls to help them inside the carriage. Raoul's face only went from pink to red. Annibal smirked at Raoul's face. "Let's get on our way shall we?" Annibal asked before he went to the carriage. He soon entered after the girls were inside. Raoul felt insulted and enraged before he swallowed down his rage. 'I'll deal with this insult later,' he thought before he followed Marius inside the carriage. Squelch then went inside before the two dancers shut the door.

As soon as they hopped back on top of the carriage the vehicle moved on its own head back to the theme park.

Kat struggled as she tried to contain her joy of being close to Christine. In fact she could forget that her twin married Raoul and him cheating on her. But she then remembered of Erik and his past history with Christine. 'I have to wait till they meet each other, that is if I can get Raoul to leave her alone,' she thought before she looked at Christine who was sitting next to her and listening to Annibal telling one of his stories while visiting Coney.

she giggled along with Christine and Marius at one of the funny jokes Annibal had said. "My, this place seems to be full of surprises for you, your highness," Christine said in a giggle. Annibal smiled at her before he looked at Kat. "Speaking of surprises, I hope we didn't make you miss your performance Kat," he said with a worried look on his face. Kat smiled at Annibal before she glanced at Christine and Raoul with a smirk.

"Actually Mr. Y had thought that I should perform while I escort Miss Daaẽ," she said looking directly at Christine. "What?" Raoul softly growled as he glared at Kat. Kat didn't flinch at Raoul's growl as Christine did. "He thought that Miss Daaẽ would like to see Coney and some of the..." Kat started to explain but Raoul interrupted. "The lower class scum?" he said coldly. Kathleen glared at Raoul. "More like the children of Coney, as I call them," she said in a gentle and motherly tone before the 'carriage' suddenly stopped.

Kat smiled as she knew that they must be at the entrance of Coney Island. "Time to start the show," she said looking at Christine with a friendly smile. Christine gave Kat a smile back before Kat stood up and he 'carriage' door opened. The sound of cheers roared before Kat stepped out of the 'carriage'. Christine letting her curiosity decided to step out next after Kat.

Christine looked surprised as she saw all of the young children that looked partly disfigured and normal surround Kat like she was a hero. Marius was behind Christine seeing Kat with the kids. "Kat is like a mother to all of the people who were born and lived here," he softly whispered to Christine.

"She gives them a mother's love and a shoulder to cry on, it is that kindness that gave her the title 'Angel of Coney Island'," he added before Kat turned around and looked directly at her. A familiar sense came of Christine before Kat spread her arms out looking at the crowd behind the carriage.

_"Welcome to Coney Island,"_ Kat started to sing. _"Where everything you've dreamed of becomes real,"_ she sung as she stepped closer to Christine as she stepped out of the carriage. _"So sit back and relax...And let its waltz lead you through...the miles and miles of whiles!"_ she sung before she spun around and a nearby band started to play the song's music. Kat then took Christine's hand pulling her a few steps before she started to sing again. _"Here on the island of dreams, nothing is what it seems,"_ she sung before she presented a hand to Squelch who was about to lift up his daughter Flick. _"Like the mighty Squelch!"_ Kat sung and Mr. Squelch lifted up his daughter with one hand, making Christine look in awe as did the audience that watched.

_"The strongest man you'll ever meet!"_ Kat sung before she twirled around and presented a hand to Siamese twins that were joined up at the hip. _"And our human prodigies! Nothing you've ever seen! As well as the mystery that makes the island of dreams!"_ she sung as she twirled with the twins before she let go and spun in a solo twirl. Kat then took Christine's hands and escorted her to the Luna Park section of Coney Island. _"We have rides and Roller coasters that can give you the adventure of a life time!"_ she sung to Christine as she showed the rides she just mentioned.

Kat then stopped before one of the restaurants that was on the island smelling in the scent of the delicious food. _"Oh and such amazing cuisine that makes the island heaven by the sea!"_ she sung like one would if they smelled the most delicious food ever before she took Christine hand again leading her to the fun house section of the Luna Park. _"Prepare to see every fantasy set free here on the island of dreams!"_ Kat sung as she walked with Christine.

Christine looked up in amazement at the fun house's entrance which looked mysterious and also enchanting. Kat stood behind Christine with a knowing smile. _"Can you take hold of the unknown?"_ Kat sung to Christine who then looked at Kat. _"Oh can you take the risk?"_ Kat sung to her before she presented a hand to the gypsy group of musicians that played some dancing music. Kat then danced around Christine in a twirl before she stopped before the band. _"And the music! The music, takes you away..."_ she sung as she twirled around before stopping wrapping her arms around herself. _"...and sweeps you off your feet!"_ Kat sung before she looked up at the sky with bliss on her face. _"Making you forget all of your miseries,"_ she sung before she looked back at Christine with a knowing smile_. "Such as the mystery and wonder here on the island of dreams,"_ Kat softly sung before she took Christine by the hand and lead her into Phantasma.

_"We have performances, and tricks! Such as dancing cats and mazes of mirrors,"_ Kat sung to her as a group of people came out of one of Mr. Y's mazes of mirrors. Kat then stepped onto a magician's stage and assisted him with a magic trick. _"Illusions beyond reality! Like tricky steps to a twisting floor!"_ she sung as she danced off the stage and ran up to a mechanical like like robot of a group of kids doing 'ring around the rosies' in a park_. "As well as marvelous mechanical creations that make you wonder how they perform!"_ Kat sung holding a note before she looked at Christine, who then had come up beside her to see the mechanical creation.

Kat smirked at Christine knowing she was amazed by the creation. _"Can you take a dare...and step over the threshold and see what's on the island of dreams...?"_ she sung to Christine before she lead her into the fantasy house of machines, which had a large dragon fighting against a knight in shining armor to a group of fake musicians playing a waltz.

Christine was amazed as she saw them all. _'Mr. Y can't be so horrible is he designed all of this,'_ she thought as she was escorted by Kat to see the animals that Kat would sometimes performed with under the big tops. _"Take good care my friends for Coney can deceive! Just take a look at our tamed and gorgeous beasts! For there are no other like them in the world!"_ Kat sung to Christine before they walked to the living area that Christine and Raoul were to stay during their stay at Coney.

_"Prepare to see every fantasy set free here on the island of dreams!"_ Kat sung as they walked, even though Kat was more like dancing then walking to Christine's eyes. Kat stopped in a dance like pose pointing at Christine with a smirk. _"Can you take hold of the unknown? Oh can you take the risk?"_ Kat sung to her almost sounding serious in her singing voice. Christine then was taken by surprise as Kat took her hands and twirled around with her, doing a little dance with her. From that moment Christine felt like she did these steps before_. "As the music! The music, takes you away...and sweeps you off your feet! Making you forget all of the miseries,"_ she sung before she gently let go of Christine after stopping the little dance.

_"Such as the mystery and wonder on the island of dreams!"_ she sung before she took a small breath, which Christine knew Kat was going to hold a note. _"Such...as the mystery and wonder...on the island of dreams! On the island...of dreams...!"_ Kat sung holding a note which Christine was impressed but also had a sense of familiarity to it. The crowd around them including Marius and Annibal applauded to Kat.

Raoul on the other hand looked really pissed off.

**Author's note:** Finally we get another song! And this one was waiting in the wings for nearly a year!

I hope all of my readers will enjoy this part of the story because this moment is of showing not only Christine but also to you readers as well! Coney Island really had all of these magical adventures and mysteries that made it the eighth wonder of the world before the poor island had been destroyed by the fire that consumed everything there at the time.

I hope you enjoy this because the next chapter the phantom and Christine meet!


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

"That insulting, disrespectful wench!" Raoul shouted as he paced back and forth in the living room area of their house that looked like a hotel suite. It had been four hours since Kat escorted Christine and Raoul to their new home. Raoul was furious of Kat's display of his wife like she was one of the monstrous freaks here.

At least that what he believed it to be. Christine thought otherwise. She actually enjoyed herself and Kat's little performance tour of Coney Island. She even enjoyed Raoul's outburst too. But now that he was in a little tantrum, she was getting a bit annoyed.

"I'm sure no one intended any ill will dear," she said as she set up the music sheet of the aria. Raoul sharply turned to glare at her. "Don't you patronize me woman," he growled at her. "It was your idea to come here!" he added in an angry tone as he pointed a finger at her. Christine couldn't believe what she was hearing, her idea to come here and perform? At least her reason was less selfish then his reason for being here. "We need the money, and also my sister is somewhere here in this place!" she said in a near growl back. "Oh well I guess all of the blame goes to her huh?" Raoul said sarcastically.

Christine glared at him. "I haven't seen her since we were children Raoul! She is the only family I've got left and you know how close we were better than anyone!" she shouted at him which was a first for her.

Raoul slightly turned away at that. He did know better than anyone how important her twin sister was to her. He remembered how distraught and upset she was when Kathleen never came back the first two days she was gone. Even the look on their father's face when he was told of Kathleen's disappearance. That was the first time that Raoul wished he helped and be a hero to Christine.

But he didn't and just like the time in the Paris opera house, he was helpless, useless and instead of him being the hero, it was Christine. He winced as he heard Christine play a few notes on the piano. "Must you make that racket?" he asked as he held his head getting a slight pounding in his head. Christine sighed heavily at that. "It is the aria I am practicing," she said as she looked up at him calm now that she had a second to cool off. "Well it hurts my head," he said as he rubbed his head to soothe his slight headache. "And anyway, how can you be so sure that it really was Kathleen that wrote that letter and not an imposter?" Raoul asked her looking at her now that his headache was gone. Christine was about to answer him with there came a sudden knock at the door.

Christine quickly went to the door to answer it. She was surprised to find it was Kat. Kat smiled at Christine sweetly.

"Hello Miss Daaẽ, may I come in?" she asked. Christine smiled back and opened the door wider for Kat to walk in. "Yes please do," Christine said to Kat. Kat walked in a few steps but stopped when she saw Raoul glaring at her. Christine had shut the door before she walked up next to Kat not noticing Raoul's penance stare as she looked at Christine with an angelic smile. "I hope everything is to your liking," Kat said to Christine. Christine was about to reply but before she could, Raoul walked past them slipping his suit jacket on.

"Raoul?" Christine asked as she looked surprised at him. "Where are you going?" she asked. "Out, I need some air," he said coldly. "Raoul, please-!" Christine started to say before Raoul sharply turned to look at her with a glare. "Please what wife?!" he asked with a glare.

Kat looked at Christine partly worried what Raoul was going to do next. Christine trembled slightly before she spoke. "Nothing, just...don't drink anymore," she said to him.

Raoul stayed silent as he left the room slamming the door shut. Kat gently touched Christine's shoulder in a comforting way. Christine rested her hand on top of Kat's as she sighed; not noticing Kat's hand slightly jumps to her touch. "I apologize for his behavior," Christine started to say but Kat stopped her from finishing. "No need Christine," Kat said.

"I know he is the reason you came here," she said as she moved her hand away. "And besides, it is best that he isn't here," Kat added as she walked to the balcony doors looking up at the crescent moon as she secretly unlocked the balcony doors. "What do you mean?" Christine asked as she took a step towards Kat.

Kat turned to Christine so to hide the unlocked doors. "Mr. Y himself is coming here to see you," Kat replied as she slowly walked to Christine. Christine looked surprised at her answer. "Mr. Y is coming here? The mysterious owner of Coney Island is coming here?" Christine asked sounding surprised and shocked. Kat nodded her head in reply. "Yes, he is eager to see you," Kat said feeling a sharp pain in her chest knowing that it was her heart that was crying of pain. Christine looked a bit nervous at this bit of news.

"Is Mr. Y a nice man?" Christine asked with a shaky voice. Kat smirked at the question. "Yes, I guarantee that Mr. Y is the gentlest and sweetest man you'll ever meet. I would know as he was once my dance partner before he became the manager of Coney Island," Kat said with a confident and prideful smile on her face. Christine looked at Kat surprised at hearing this.

"You know what he looks like?" I'm surprised that the newspapers don't have this out in the world," she said with an astonished look on her face. Kat smirked at Christine before she giggled.

"Yes, well I do my best to protect all of the children of Coney Island, even those that are in hiding from the real monsters that wish to do them harm," Kat said before she walked to the piano seeing Erik's composed music. Christine looked at Kat with a curious glance. "So you know everyone here on Coney Island?" Christine asked curiously. She hoped that her sister really was here. And Kat is the one that can confirm that.

"Kat, can I ask you something?" Christine asked Kat. Kat looked up at her curiously. "What is it?" Kat asked her in reply. Christine took a breath before she walked to Kat. "Is there someone by the name Kathleen here in Coney Island by chance?" Christine asked Kat gathering her courage and hope. Kat's face paled at the question before she tried to head to the doorway. Christine grasped Kat's arm, stopping her from leaving. "Please Kat! I need to know if there is a young woman who looks similar to me is here on Coney," she begged Kat. "She wrote to me that she was here hiding!" Christine added as she looked directly into Kat's eyes.

Before Kat could answer, the balcony doors slowly opened on their own and a shadowed figure appeared in the door way. Christine's face paled as she saw Erik slowly walk into the room. Christine then passed out in Kat's arms. Kat sighed in relief but then winced as she fell to the floor with her twin sister in her arms. "Are you all right?" Erik asked as he ran to them helping Kat with Christine.

"Yes, but I think your big entrance startled her," Kat said as she quickly went to get smelling salts she knew that her brother slipped in when he brought in their luggage. "Guess I should've waited till you signaled me," Erik said with a smirk. Kat rolled her eyes at his smirk.

"You're the famous opera ghost, your old self wanted to come out at that time," she teased as she settled the opened smelling salts under Christine's nose. Christine's head turned side to side before her eyes opened slowly. She softly gasped in surprise as she saw Erik looking up at her. She quickly got up and backed away still looking at Erik. Erik slowly stood up and kept his eyes on her. Kat looked between the two before she put the smelling salts on the coffee table that was nearby. Christine then slowly started to laugh at herself. "I should've known," she said in a sarcastic tone.

"This whole setting bears your signature," she added as Erik took one step towards her which she stepped back putting the piano between Erik and her. She then looked at the composed song. "Even your work is in that song," she softly whispered with a tremble in her tone. Kat took a step to Christine knowing this wasn't going well. "Christine, it wasn't his idea for you to come here," she said partly lying to protect Erik from Christine's anger.

Christine looked at Kat with disbelief. "Oh? Then was it your idea?" Christine asked with a bit of anger in her tone. "Do you have any idea what this man has done?" Christine asked Kat almost enraged. Kat glared at Christine getting for the first time angry at her twin. Erik winced at Christine's question. "If you'd have known the pain I endured," Erik said to Christine and unknowingly Kat. Erik then looked at Christine taking one step towards her.

"Then you would know I had no other choice," he added with pain in his voice. Kat felt her heart nearly break at Erik's voice. She then looked at her sister. "Please believe me Christine, it wasn't his idea," she said but found Christine hadn't heard her. "How dare you try and claim me now! How dare you try and ensnare my voice!" Christine said pointing a trembling finger at Erik.

Erik took a step back at Christine's words. Kat then stepped forward towards Christine. "Christine!" she shouted making Christine look at her.

"You have a right to be angry at him, but what happened in the past isn't the reason you were brought here!" Kat said before she stepped around the piano towards Christine. "Erik had indeed wanted to bring you here before of his feelings for you," she said. "But things have changed," Kat added before Erik stepped forward to speak. "All I ask is that you sing one song in my concert hall for one night," he said to her in a calm tone. "No more and no less," he added which even surprised Kat to hear him say that.

Christine shook her head. "No," she said not wanting to risk him capturing her. "Just one night Christine, that is all we ask," Kat said trying to convince her sister to change her mind. "Why should I?" Christine asked Kat before she looked at Erik. "For nine years I believed you were dead, and now you bring us here and expect me to do as you wish? No! I've sung for you once, and I won't sing for you again!" she said directly at Erik knowing he had something planned. Suddenly there came a knocking at the door, making all three of them jump at the same time.

"Who is it?" Kat asked in a loud voice so whoever was on the other side can hear her. "It's me, Kat, Marius," Marius replied on the other side of the door. "Miss Daaẽ has a special visitor that wishes to see her," he added. Erik went to the door and unlocked before he opened it slowly. He peeked outside and he smiled as he saw the special visitor.

"Come in, come in," he said as he opened the door wider and revealed Gustave with Marius. The boy's face lightened up as he saw his mother and he ran directly to Kat. "Mama!" he cried as he ran to her.

"Gustave!" Kat said as she knelt down and received her son's hug which she gave back. Christine looked curiously at them both. Kat kissed the boy's head before she pulled to look at him. "How was your last day of school?" she asked him. Gustave smiled happily at her before he answered. "It was wonderful mother! I got an award today for my talent! The teacher even allowed me to play a song for the school!" the boy replied before he pulled out a drawing of a romantic setting in a park like area.

"I finished my drawing too! I thought that Erik might be able to use it for a new design for the island," he said before he knelt down to the floor. "Let me see the drawing Gustave," Erik said with an excited smile on his face.

Gustave smiled before he went to Erik and showed him the drawing. Kat took the chance to whisper to Christine. "It is because of this boy and your sister that you were brought here Christine," she whispered to her before she walked up to Erik and Gustave, but was stopped as Marius gently took her by the arms. "If you don't mind sister, I need to speak with you something private," he said before he led her to the balcony area. Christine looked at Erik seeing him with the boy.

She took a few steps towards them before Erik looked up at her making her freeze in place. "Is it true?" she softly whispered to him. Erik nodded his head knowing that Kat must have told her that Gustave was the real reason Christine was here. Christine was about to ask if he knew of her sister being here before Gustave looked up at her. "Is she Miss Daaẽ? The Angel of music you and mama told me so much about?" he asked Erik. Erik nodded his head as Christine looked surprised as she was shocked that Erik had told this boy of her. "Then you're going to sing for my birthday!" Gustave said with excitement.

Erik frowned at that before he stood up. "Sad to say Gustave, Miss Daaẽ won't be singing for your birthday," he said to the boy who then looked up at him shocked before he looked at Christine with tears in his eyes starting to form. "What?" the boy asked with shock in his voice.

"Why?" he asked Christine. Christine felt for the first time guilty for refusing. "Because I...I don't have a song that would be suited for a young boy's birthday," Christine replied knowing that she will now have to sing. But as she saw Gustave smile at her with a giggling smile. He then ran to the piano and picked up the music sheets.

"That's easy, the song that Erik composed! It's really pretty song from the music he's played for me," Gustave said as he handed her the sheet music. Christine took the sheet music before she knelt down before the boy. "Is it? He has sung this song to you?" she asked the boy. Gustave shook his head. "No, but Erik has played a small sample of it for me. I chose that song for you to sing myself Miss Daaẽ," he replied before he looked at Erik. "Erik has told me many times that your voice is like an angel's," he added before he looked back to Christine.

"Has he now?" she asked as she glanced at Erik before she looked at Gustave with a friendly smile before there suddenly came a pounding at the door. "Good gracious who is it this time?" Christine asked as she went to the door and started to open the door. She gasped as Annibal came in with a panicked look on his face.

"Grandpa!" Gustave gasped before he ran to Annibal and hugged his legs. Annibal gently hugged the boy. "It's good to see you again your majesty," Erik said in greeting. Annibal smiled at Erik before his face changed back to panic and fear. "Good to see you too Erik, is Kat here by chance?" Annibal asked with hope in his voice. Erik looked puzzled at Annibal's face before he presented a hand towards the balcony where Kat and Marius were talking. Marius turned his head and spotted Annibal before he said something to Kat. She turned instantly with the same look of fear on her face as she looked at Annibal.

Kat instantly came from the balcony and ran to him. "Is it true?" she asked him. Annibal shook his head. "Yes it is, we just found-" Annibal started to say but stopped as he saw Erik, Christine, and Gustave looking at them. He then pulled out a note that had what appeared to be a blood red ribbon pinned to it.

"This was attached to her," he said as Kat took the note slowly. "You are the only one that can confirm that it is HIM," he added before Kat opened the note. Her face instantly went pale white as Erik's mask before she slowly looked up in horror. "Kat?" Erik said as he stepped closer to her and gently rested his hands on her shoulders. Kat's body was shaking like a leaf as Erik glanced a peek at the paper. "Kat is it him? The man you told me about?" he softly whispered to her, seeing a child's drawing of a man and a little girl in a mask standing in what looked like a sunny day at the park. _'No doubt Kat drew this when she was a child,'_ Erik thought instantly before he looked down to Kat's face.

"He's here," Kat softly whispered with a trembling voice. "He's here!" Kat softly cried out louder before she instantly passed out into a shocked faint. "Kat!" Erik cried as he caught her in his arms.

Christine couldn't believe her eyes as she saw Erik holding Kat in his arms and looked really concerned. 'It's as though he cares for her,' she thought as she saw Marius pick Kat up from Erik's arms. "I'll take her to her house, you can see her after you settle the arrangement of Miss Daaẽ's singing," he whispered to Erik who was holding her hand not wanting to leave her side. Erik looked at Kat's unconscious face with a feeling that was new to him, something he never felt before, not even with Christine. He gently caressed her half covered cheek and chin with the side of his finger feeling that feeling increase as he felt her skin.

"Promise to keep her safe?" he softly asked Marius. Marius smirked as he knew that Erik indeed loved her. "I'll guard her with my life," Marius replied with a serious tone knowing now that Kat was important to not only his people and those on Coney Isle, but to Erik as well. Erik slowly let go of Kat's hand as Marius carried Kat out of the room. His eyes never let Kat's unconscious face till she was gone. Christine kept her eyes on Erik before Annibal went to Gustave. "Come Gustave, I want to see those drawings your mother told me about," he said to the boy. Gustave looked at the gypsy king with worry on his face.

"Will mother be all right?" the boy asked. Annibal smiled comfortingly at the young lad. "She will be Gustave. She just needs some rest is all," Annibal replied as he walked with the boy out of the hotel room, leaving Erik and Christine alone in the room. Erik still didn't look away from the doorway that Marius carried Kat away as Christine observed him.

_'He's different then he was nine years ago,'_ Christine thought before she looked at the sheet music in her hands. _'I wonder if he composed this song while thinking of Kat,'_ she added before she looked back at Erik. "You've changed," she said softly to him as she settled the music sheet on top of the piano.

"You've gone from being a phantom pretending to be an angel of music to an owner of a theme park," she added as she looked back at him. "I never thought you would be able to love another after me," she said as she took one step towards him. Erik sharply turned towards her as he heard her say that sentence. Erik looked shyly downward as a slight blush appeared on his face. Christine found it hard to not giggle at seeing her former mentor and angel of music blush like a shy boy with a crush on a pretty girl.

"Is this what I'm feeling? This urge to go to Kat's side and not leave till I know she is all right?" Erik asked softly making Christine wonder if he was asking her or asking himself. "Is this love that I feel? This hunger that makes me starve to death till Kat is before me? This force that pulls me to her as she looks at me?" he asked more loudly as he walked to a sofa chair and grasped the back of it with a tight grip. "How can it be love? It is not the same feeling I have for you!" he said in a shaky voice.

Christine smirked at him. "There are different kinds of love," she said as she stepped towards him, gently touching his shoulder. Erik turned his head looking directly at her. He found himself feeling, to his amazement different then when he ever looked at Kat. Maybe what he felt for Christine really was a different kind of love then what the love he felt for Kat. As that realization hit him he looked into Christine's eyes. A memory flashed in his mind as he recognized those eyes being the exact same colored eyes that he had looked into one night nearly ten years ago. "Those eyes," he whispered softly.

Christine looked confused at Erik, wondering what he was talking about. She then gasped as Erik suddenly grasped her shoulders. "Christine, where were you nine years ago?!" he asked her suddenly.

"What?" Christine asked in reply. "Nine years ago, were you anywhere in Paris during that time?" he asked her again. Christine looked at him more confused at his question. "Nine years ago? I was just married to Raoul that night and we were just on our honeymoon," she replied.

"Impossible!" Erik said in a shocked voice. He shook his head confused. "If you were on your honeymoon, then who was the woman I..." he stopped part way before finishing his question. "The woman I was with nine years ago?" he asked before he slowly let go of Christine. Christine's eyes widened in surprise. "Did this woman you saw look somewhat like me or looked exactly like me?" Christine asked as she slowly pulled out an envelope from her dress's front pocket. Erik looked directly at Christine before he answered. "She was the mirror image of you," he replied softly.

Christine felt her heart skip a beat at his answer she slowly handed Erik the envelope. "What is that?" he asked her. "This is the first letter I received before you sent your music to me," she replied before Erik then took the letter and opened it.

Erik's eyes widened as he slowly read the letter. "You have a sister?" he asked softly looking at her with a surprised look on his face. Christine nodded her head in reply. "She disappeared when we were ten years old, I don't know where she is or if she even remembers what I look like," Christine explained. Erik then looked at the letter before he saw the drawing that Kat dropped when she passed out.

He quickly picked up the drawing and looked at it before he showed it to Christine. "Would your sister perhaps know how to draw?" he asked as he showed her the drawing. Christine looked at it before she covered her mouth in a gasp.

"That is how she used to draw when we played by the sea when we were children!" she said in a gasp and shocked tone. She then looked at Erik puzzled again. "But how can Kat be involved in all of this? She mentioned my sister and Gustave were the real reasons for my being here," she said. Erik slowly folded up the letter before he slipped both the drawing and the letter into his coat pocket. "I don't know, but I know that if your sister is here on Coney Island, Kat would know where she might be," he said before he looked at Christine. "I think it would be best for you to not mention any of this to your husband, for your sister's sake as well as for Kat and her son," he added. Christine nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, including the fact that you are alive and owner of Coney Island," she said before she looked at him with a friendly and confident smile. "Which I'll sing your song," she added.

Erik smiled at her before he chuckled. "I'm grateful to you Christine, I'll repay you back for this," he said before he gently took both of her hands into his. He gently kissed both of them before he looked at her again. "I'll bring you and your sister together, I promise," he said before he started to leave by the balcony as he had come in earlier. Christine looked after him before she then went to the piano grabbing the sheet music and practiced the song.

Meanwhile at Kat's house, Kat was still unconscious as Marius watched over her. He had just laid her down in her giant queen side bed covered with one simple gypsy blanket that one of the gypsy fortune tellers had given to her as a birthday present few years ago before she became the angel of Coney isle. Marius didn't take off her mask as he knew Erik would be coming any moment.

And the last thing he knew Kat would want is for Erik to see her real face. At least until she was ready to show it to Erik willingly. _'But she is going to have to tell him soon, cause Gunner isn't going to sit and wait when he tries to kill her for revenge,'_ he thought before he heard voices outside the living room area. _'Erik must be here,'_ Marius thought before he stood up and went to unlock the bedroom door. Marius opened the door to see Erik talking to Mr. Squelch.

"He's been there all that time? And he didn't see you?" Erik asked the strong man. Squelch nodded his head. "He's never even noticed that I was watching him sir," the strong man replied. Marius smirked as he overheard this_. 'Erik must be keeping an eye on Raoul_,' Marius thought as he overheard them. _'Hopefully Raoul will screw up one of these days that will make Christine leave him,'_ he added in his mind before he decided to play the dummy role of not overhearing the conversation. "Mr. Y?" he called out softly so to not wake Kathleen.

Erik turned sharply towards Marius as he heard the gypsy's voice. "Yes, Marius?" Erik asked with a hint of worry in his tone. _'Good to know that he is worried for Kat even when he is trying to break his former love's marriage,'_ Marius thought humorously before he smirked.

"If you want to see Kat, she's still unconscious," he said to Erik. "I could try and wake her for you if you want to talk to her," he added just about to take a step back into the room. "No Marius, I'll go to her now," Erik said holding one hand up to tell Marius to stop. Marius smiled at Erik's reply before he opened the door wider allowing Erik to step into Kat's bedroom. "Shall I leave you alone with her?" Marius asked as Erik walked into the bedroom.

Erik shook his head as he slowly looked around Kat's bedroom with interest. "Thank you Marius," Erik said softly. Marius looked at Erik with a knowing smile before he shut the door leaving the former phantom with the Angel of Coney Island alone in the room together. He silently prayed to God that the two people in the room would become more close to each other and discover their feelings for one another before it was too late. And maybe perhaps he can finally tell Meg Giry of his own feelings for him as well. That is if he can get her away from her monster of a mother.

Erik looked around the room in awe as he stood still in Kat's bedroom. He saw one painting in Kat's room that was of the Paris opera house. He assumed that she had it because that is where she first met him and saw his performance of Don Juan triumphant for her birthday. Erik browsed the room before he spotted Kat's make-up table with a large mirror attached to it. He wasn't surprised to see masks on it but what caught his eye on the left side of the mirror was a small newspaper clipping picture and article of Christine while she performed in his Don Juan triumphant. _'Why would she have this picture here?'_ he asked himself before he slowly walked to where he guessed was her writing desk area. His curiosity taking over him, he peeked on what appeared to be sheet music. That surprised him as he never knew that Kat can compose, but then again she was a dancer and had spent some time with him when he composed the one song they danced to when her was her dance partner.

As he read the notes of the song he found the music to be enchanting to him. Erik then spotted one of the desk's drawers open slightly. Once again curiosity took over and he opened the drawer. But before he could get a peek he heard a soft moan coming from Kat which made him freeze and instantly looked up at her.

Erik quickly sighed in relief as he saw Kat was still unconscious. He closed his eyes before he looked down into the drawer again. _'What am I doing?'_ he asked himself. '_Snooping around like a nosy reporter or black mailer,' _he added in his mind before he shut the drawer. He then walked to where there was a chair that Marius must've sat as he watched over Kat, but not before he picked up the composed music that was on Kat's writing desk.

**Author's note:** In this chapter Christine meets Erik after nine years! But not only that but Kat's horrors are starting to come back to haunt her!

I started to get worried on how this moment was going to work out but after watching my DVD copy of the Australian production of Love never dies (which was way better than the London production according to Phantom Reviewer on [link] ), I got through writing the moment. Even though I was worried that I would be accidentally making my Christine not only too harsh to Erik, (and bitchy like Carlotta), but also trying to not make her stupid as Phantom Reviewer pointed out in both versions of the musical.

I hope I did a good job with that bit, cause it is a huge weight on my shoulders with that.

And I also put in that different kinds of love meaning in there cause not only ARE there different kinds of love, but also I put it that Erik can still care for Christine but not in the same way he loves Kat. (so don't worry Erik x Christine fans!)

And also the composed music is a song I plan on having Kat sing on the big opening night when Christine sings Love never dies!

Comment please and let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Kat felt as if she was floating in midair or floating in the water. _'Where am I?'_ she thought before she suddenly found herself standing before Erik who was sitting on the ground holding someone's limp body in his arms. She felt her heart break as his soft sobs echoed in his ears. _'Why are you crying my Erik?'_ she thought before she felt her heart freeze as did the air in her lungs. Making her slightly choke a gasp as she saw Christine's dead and bleeding body in Erik's arms.

Suddenly there was the sound of a gunshot and a small explosion of blood bled from her own chest exactly where she saw Christine's gunshot wound bled from. "Ah!" she grunted before she slowly turned around to see who shot her. Her eyes widened as she saw Meg Giry holding a pistol in her hand but what really shocked Kat was that Gunner was standing right behind Meg with a sick and twisted smirk on his face.

Just as she was about to scream, Kat suddenly heard soft humming sounds echoing in her ears. She instantly recognized the voice to be Erik's voice. Kat felt her body grow warm and calm, as if she was laying underneath the warm sun on a spring day. She then recognized the song he was humming as the very song she had composed as a way to sing of her love to him. Or at least try to confess her love to him.

_'Why is he humming my song?_' she asked herself in her mind before she slowly started to open her eyes. She realized then that she was in her bedroom in her own house. _'It was a dream,'_ she thought in relief. Then she heard Erik's humming close by. He actually sounded like he was right next to her. Kat slowly turned her head to where she heard Erik's voice coming from. Her eyes widened in surprise as she discovered that he WAS beside her. Kat smiled as she saw him sitting in a chair by her bedside.

_'He's been here with me the whole time,'_ Kat thought to herself before she saw that he was reading HER composed music. Kat then blushed pink as she softly gasped and sat up in her bed. Erik slightly jumped in surprise at her sudden gasp.

Erik then smirked as he saw that Kat was awake. "You're finally awake, I was beginning to worry," he said to her with a half smirk. Kat blushed a deeper pink at his words. "D-Did you really?" Kat asked softly. Erik nodded his head in reply.

He then smirked before he held up her sheet music. "You never told me you can compose Kat," he said to her with a mixture of curiosity and surprise in her tone. Erik then looked down at the sheet music. "What is it called?" he asked as she gently took it from his hands. She then got up from her bed and settled it on her writing desk. "It's titled 'Angel of the night'," Kat replied as she walked to her desk. "What is it about?" Erik asked as he watched her take the music sheets from him.

He found his heart pounding as he saw Kat's cheeks grow red. 'She's never blushed like this around me before,' he thought before Kat replied. "It's about a young maiden who becomes enchanted by a man that she believes to be a ghost," Kat replied before she slowly walked around her desk.

"How much have you read of it?" she asked when she got to the edge of her bed. "Enough to know that you are almost finished writing it," Erik replied as he slowly walked up behind her. "I am actually, but what with Gustave's birthday and the summer clients coming in, I don't have much free time," Kat said before she turned to see Erik was standing up. "Speaking of Gustave," Erik said before he pulled both the drawing and the letter that was written to Christine. "Care to explain to me who Christine's sister is and what does she have to do with the man that is a danger to you and Gustave?" he asked her in a serious tone.

Kat's face instantly turned white as she saw the drawing and the letter. She sharply turned around to try and hide the terrified look on her face, but Erik already saw it. He then rested his hand on her shoulder. "Kat, please tell me," he softly said to her. "I want to help you," he added before he gently turned her around making her face him. Kat kept her eyes looking down to the floor trying to not look up at him or at least into his eyes. But he wasn't going to let her get away with that. "Kat," he said in a more pleading tone as he gently cupped her chin making her look up at him.

Kat felt her heart pound heavily as her eyes looked up into his blue ones_. 'They are enchanting just like that night,'_ she thought as the memory of the night that Gustave was conceived projected in her mind. As she looked into his eyes Erik had the same flash back as Kat did; only he was remembering the night that he performed 'Don Juan Triumphant'. The moment he had just swiped Christine away off the stage, hearing someone crying out to someone. "It was you wasn't it?" he asked softly as he then cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand.

"Huh?" Kat replied looking confused but inside she was wondering if he figured out who she was. "That night, on your birthday, it was you calling out to me wasn't it?" he asked her. Kat knew then that she was going to have to give Erik a small clue to her real identity, now that he was starting to get on the right track as they said in American mystery novels.

"No," she replied sadly. "It wasn't me that called out to you that night," she added as she took both the drawing and the letter from his free hand. "Such as I wasn't the one that wrote the letter to Christine Daaẽ," she said before she walked to the other side of her bed and settled the letter and drawing in the nightstand drawer. "By the way you are speaking, I assume you are referring to Christine's sister?" he asked with a raised brow. "But where was she that night?

I didn't see her in the box with you that night," he asked Kat. Kat smirked at that. "I knew someone was watching me," Kat said with a smile before she turned to look at him. "She was there with me, you just didn't see her because she was hiding in the shadows," Kat replied to Erik's question before she walked slowly up to him. Erik then grasped Kat's shoulders as he looked into her eyes again. "Is she here? Is she here in Coney Island?" he asked Kat with what sounded like hope to her. Kat nodded her head in reply.

"Yes, she is here," Kat answered before she looked up at him. "But I'm the only one that knows where she is hiding," she added. "When will she come out of hiding?" Erik asked her.

Kat looked a bit nervous at his question. "She was going to come out on Gustave's birthday but after confirming the drawing I don't want to risk her safety," Kat answered honestly before she looked downward. Erik's grip tightened on her shoulders which made her instantly look up at him. "Is it the same man that you told me months ago?" he asked her, his voice sounding protective and angry. Kat looked up at him with the look of surprise on her face.

"Yes, one and the same," she replied softly. Her eyes widened as she found herself suddenly pulled into Erik's arms. He held her tightly in his arms as if he was afraid she was going to disappear into thin air. "Erik?" she softly asked as she looked up at him. She saw his eyes closed shut which made her heart skip a beat. 'Does he care for me?' she asked herself mentally before she heard him speak. "I vow to keep you, her, Christine and Gustave safe from that monster that has the gall to call himself a man," he said softly to her before he opened his eyes looking down at her. Kat felt the music in her veins come alive again as it did that night when their son was conceived.

She felt her heart pound harder and harder as he moved one hand to caress her cheek. Kat felt herself shiver to his warm and rough touch. She slowly closed her eyes as she leaned into his touch not caring if her feelings for him will be shown.

"Kat," she heard him softly whisper to her, feeling his breath upon her lips. She slowly opened her eyes to see that his face was really close to hers, close enough for him to kiss her. "Erik," she softly whispered to him as she moved her left hand to touch the masked side of his face. She felt him shiver to that touch as she saw his eyes close to that. She knew then that he still believed himself to be a monster.

Well she was going to show him otherwise as she then cupped the other side of his face and gently kissed his lips. She felt him stiffen no doubt surprised by her suddenly kissing him. But she kept going, slowly kissing him till he relaxed.

It didn't take long before he relaxed and had started to kiss back. Softly moaning in pleasure as their kiss grew more hot and passionate. She started to caress the back of his head when she suddenly felt his hand at the back of her head close to the strings that held back her mask. Kat quickly moved that hand down to her waist hoping that he wouldn't notice. If he discovered what her face looked like he will feel ashamed for leaving Christine for her twin sister. She softly gasped in surprise as she felt his hands gently cup her behind. Which then turned to a moan as she felt him press her pelvis against his, feeling his desire for her. And oh dear, she felt her body growing hot to it.

Soon then she slipped his coat cloak off and he started to untie the veils that were wrapped around her waist. She almost giggled as she felt him tug at her corset. "Damned thing," he muttered against her lips, breaking the kiss for a split second before Kat grasped his hands.

"Let me help you with that," she softly whispered to him before she moved his hands to the front of her corset, showing him how to undo it from the front. Kat shivered in anticipation as Erik unbuttoned her corset and dropping it to the floor. She then unbuttoned his vest and shirt, returning to kissing Erik. He softly moaned against her lips as she slipped his vest and shirt off at the same time. He quickly slipped his shoes and socks off before he pulled her against him.

_'She feels perfect,'_ he thought as he made the kiss more passionate. _'Like she was made just for me,'_ he added before he moved his hands to hike up the skirt of her dress. Erik couldn't help but feel as if he held her like this before.

But he couldn't think further on the matter as he felt Kat's hands undo his pants. He made a mental note to himself that he would try to figure out where Christine's sister was and Kat's real identity later before he lifted Kat up onto her bed. After slipping her skirt off, Erik gently caressed Kat's legs up to her breasts showing her tenderness and love with his touch. Hearing her soft moans and gasps were the sweetest music to his ears. The taste of her lips reminded him of strawberries.

Kat shivered to his touch as he cupped one of her breasts and she softly moaned as she felt his lips kiss one of them. She caressed the back of his head showing him that she loved what she was doing. Never had she felt such a powerful or sweeter than the pleasure or Erik's tender love making. Unlike the last time he made love to her that night nine years ago, which was fast and fiery, he went slow and gentle. Taking each moment, each touch to memory. And Kat wanted to give him the same pleasure he was giving her. So she reached for his mask and took it off of his face. Kat wasn't surprised when Erik stopped and covered that part of his face.

Kat leaned up to him as she turned his face to her. "Erik," she softly whispered to him. "I'm not afraid to what you look like," she said to him.

"But I-" Erik started to say but Kat had covered his lips with her fingers. Kat then moved his hand away from his face and did the one thing that she always wanted to do since she first saw his deformed face. She kissed his deformed face. Kat felt him flinch and freeze as she kissed it again, but as she kept raining kisses on his deformed face, he started to relax. She then started kissing him again, cupping his unmasked face as she slowly laid down on the bed.

Erik kissed Kat back as he gently and quickly slipped his pants and underwear off at the same time. He felt then completely free and bare to her. Unmasked and uncovered as a man would be with the woman he loved. As Adam was bare and in love with his Eve in the holy garden of Eden. Erik then gently broke the kiss and looked down into Kat's eyes. He felt his heart pound and his soul sing to the heavens as he looked into Kat's greens eyes. "Kat..." Erik softly whispered to her finding himself speechless as he tried to think of words to say. Kat only smiled up at him knowing that this was Erik trying to ask if this is what she was feeling this very moment.

Kat answered by slowly wrapping her legs around his waist, gently pulling his pelvis towards hers. Erik felt his heart pound heavily and his body reacting to Kat's skin touching his own. Knowing what to do next, he then inserted his manhood into her.

They both moaned in unison as they joined together. Both feeling pleasure and adrenaline at the same time as their hips moved together in the sexual dance of love making. Their moans and gasps the music to their heart's singing. Kat's hands ran through Erik's hair as he thrusted slowly in and out of her. He rested his forehead in the croon of Kat's neck as he softly panted in pleasure.

Never feeling this alive in all his life. Now he understood what he felt no desire for any other woman. Why he felt complete now in Kat's embrace. He knew then and there that he truly loved Kat. And he would kill the monster that threatened her and her son. He kissed Kat's sweet lips in a loving kiss as he felt the ultimate release that soon came upon him. Erik thrusted one final time before he and Kat cried out in unison as they released into climax at the same time. They both laid on their sides facing each other as the waves of orgasm tingled through their bodies.

Looking into each other's eyes as they enjoyed this sweet moment that didn't involve any of the drama that surrounded them both. No dangers, no threats, nothing but a woman and a man. No more and no less.

Marius smirked as he sat outside of Kat's bedroom, hearing no doubt Kat and Erik's cries of pleasure as they made love. _'About time those two got together,'_ he thought with a laughing smirk on his face. He hoped that those two lovers stay together before it was too late. But how was he one to talk when he himself was hiding his feelings for the one woman that had no idea of his feelings for her? He soon saw an image of her in the fire place dancing one of her dances.

Marius wiped at his closed eyes as he tried to clear the image in his mind. For the past five years since she first arrived here on Coney Island, Meg Giry had been in Marius's thoughts and dreams since he first laid eyes on her. Seeing her on the stage rehearsing the dance steps of her act that Kat had given to her for a try out for the former manager. Her blond hair shining like the golden sun in the early morning twilight. Unlike the other women of his people, Meg Giry prided herself on trying her best to show that she was as talented as Christine and Kat. Her only problem is that her mother only used her daughter's beauty and sex appeal 'talents' for her own greedy needs. Hence why Kat had made sure that Meg never have been 'involved' with any of the men that Madam Giry lead her daughters' way. Whenever the 'meetings' happen, Kat would have one of the willing Gypsy women switch places with Meg after drugging the young girl.

And slipping her out of the 'meeting' place before the 'admirer' could arrive. And Marius would be the one that always watched over her as she laid unconscious in her drugged state. Which that was when he had been the most tortured in his whole life.

Fighting his desire to touch her or caress her rosy cheeks as she lay there unconscious. But he would always resist the urge, promising himself that he would tell her face to face of his feelings for her. He would have to get her away from her greedy mother first. Last time he tried to talk to her, her mother interrupted him and told him that he should stay away from Meg. But that only increased his desire for the bathing beauty.

Even when he followed her to the infamous 'suicide hall' which was an area of the park that was by a small dock. Which had a bar nearby that provided the perfect companion for those poor souls drowning in the sorrows of their lives. And if their sorrows are too much for them to live with, they can walk off the dock and go out like a candle flame. He never had that sort of sorrow in his life but he enjoyed watching Meg go for a swim there. But he would always have to hide in the shadows before she would catch him spying on her. He never knew if she caught on of him following her, and he hoped she didn't.

His thoughts were interrupted by Squelch sitting down by the fire place. "So it the Vicomte at the bar of 'sorrow'?" he asked hinting to the bar that Marius was thinking of. "He is your Highness," the strong man replied. Marius smirked at his reply. "Guess the fact that he is married to the woman he tried to save, who ended up saving him is a heavy weight for him to carry on his shoulders," Marius said with a half chuckle. "I almost pity him," he added as he ran a hand through his hair. "But that man is as Kat said, a spoiled child that had everything handed to him and not worked hard in his life," he said before he took a sip of brandy that he poured for himself earlier. "Indeed sire, he isn't a good husband to Miss Daaẽ either," Squelch said as he looked at Marius.

"How long do you think it will be before the master and 'mother' finally come together?" Squelch asked as he turned his head to the door to Kat's bed chamber. Marius smirked at the strong man's question. "I believe they already have," he replied with a knowing smirk as they both heard the cries of pleasure from the lovers in the other room.

**Author's note:** Here is the moment you've been waiting for all of you phantom phans out there! Our opera ghost gets some loving! (hope this is what you phans wanted!)

By the way, Kat's dream was a bit of respect to the musical this story is inspired from. And also a bit of the cross roads for Kat. The point of no return so to speak.

And I hope all of you like the twist I had for Marius having the hots for Meg and what REALLY went on with our bathing beauty and her admirers.

What is going to happen next now that our genius of music is finally starting to catch on to the secret of Kat's past?


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

He still couldn't believe it. Raoul couldn't believe that his wife's twin sister was still alive and in this mad house that people called 'Coney Island'. If that were so then why didn't she make contact with Christine as soon as they arrived?

That question plagued the Vicomte's mind as he walked with Christine into the 'theater' of Coney Island. Christine was being plagued by thoughts of her own. Thoughts of her twin sister, Kat and Erik. What is going on between those three? Is it possible that her sister might be involved with Erik? _'No,'_ she thought to herself as she remembered Erik's feelings towards Kat the night before. _'He loves Kat, and besides he didn't know about Kathleen until last night,'_ she added as she walked onto the stage seeing what must be a rehearsal for one of the acts in the show. She then saw Marius sitting in one of seats in the front row.

"Marius!" she called out in a soft whisper to the gypsy prince. Marius turned as he saw her and Raoul coming towards him. He stood up and smiled at Christine completely ignoring Raoul. "Hello Miss Daaẽ," he said in greeting as he politely took Christine's hand and kissed it like a gentleman. Raoul balled up his fist in a possessive manner as he watched them both.

Marius then released Christine's hand before he looked at Raoul. "I hope that you had a pleasant sleep last night Vicomte?" he asked politely, not really caring if the dumb drunkard had rested well or not. Raoul only glared at the gypsy prince with anger and hatred reflected in the man's eyes.

"I slept fine thank you," Raoul said coldly and calmly to Marius. The gypsy prince wasn't as fooled as Christine was. "Good, Mr. Y would be greatly upset if our guests weren't having a peaceful rest here," he said before he escorted the couple onto the stage. "Our stage director will be with you in a moment," Marius explained as he pointed to Madam Giry talking to Meg and the stage director. Christine and Raoul were too distracted by the splendor of the stage to notice their two old friends.

Marius took the chance of showing the couple the backstage area so that Madam Giry wouldn't try to pull any lie or tricks on the couple. Or worse, by finding out that Christine was here by Kat and Erik's design. Which that would make a huge mess out of everything.

"Do you think he'll come this time mother?" Meg asked her mother as she put on her shawl as she took her break from rehearsal. "I do not know my dear," Madam Giry replied. "But you have gone a long way since the beginning of the season," she added comfortingly. Meg shook her head before she looked at her mother. "It's been three months mother," she said with a bit of worry in her tone. "Never once has he come to see the show."

Madam Giry smirked then, making Meg almost slightly frightened. "Do not worry my girl, I know he is planning something glorious for you. He has been composing again, late at night till early morning!" Madam Giry told her daughter. "For me?" Meg asked with surprise and excitement reflected on her face. Madam Giry cupped her child's chin gently. "Continue working hard my dear, and be useful to him," she softly whispered to Meg before kissing her daughter's forehead. Meg smiled happily as she watched her mother leave to talk to one of the stage hands. Suddenly she saw a rose in front of her face which made her grasp in surprise.

"For you Miss Giry," Marius said softly to her as she took the rose and turned to look at him. "I know it isn't a bouquet of roses but I thought you would like one," he added rubbing the back of his neck feeling shy and nervous. Meg smiled at him sweetly before she gave him a hug.

"It's perfect Marius, thank you," she said as she hugged him. Marius was surprised by her sudden hug. But he wasn't going to let this rare chance pass by, so he slowly wrapped his arms around Meg. Soon though he heard her softly gasp, knowing that Meg saw Christine. Marius then let her go slowly before he turned to see Christine walking towards them reading Erik's composed music.

"Oh, my God can it be...?" Meg said softly as Christine looked up at her. "Christine?" Meg whispered softly. Christine looked at Meg more puzzled.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Christine asked politely, still puzzled. "Yes, you do Christine," Marius said as he gently wrapped an arm around Meg's shoulders. "I do?" Christine asked as she stepped closer to Marius and Meg. She gave Meg a good look over but when she got to Meg's face she recognized her old friend instantly. "Meg!" she softly cried as she gave her old friend a warm hug. Meg hugged her old friend back surprised to see her here. "I can't believe you're here!" Meg said as she then looked at Christine. "Neither can I," Christine said as she looked at Meg.

"Look at you Christine, you look radiant!" Meg said as she looked at her friend up and down in awe. "And look at you, I almost didn't recognize you," Christine remarked as Marius watched the two friends get reacquainted. Marius only smiled at the two girls unaware of Raoul had ran into Madam Giry.

Madam Giry couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the last person she ever thought of seeing here on Coney Island. "You!" she said in a gasp. "What are you doing here?" she asked him with a slight bit of shock in her tone. Raoul looked as equal shock at the former ballet mistress of the Paris opera house. "Funny, I could ask you the same thing Madam Giry," he replied before he showed the contract that had in print of Christine's job working here on Coney.

"My wife and I came here for work," Raoul replied to Madam Giry's question before. Madam Giry looked more shocked before she started to speak. "My daughter and I have been working here for nearly five years! Let me see that contract," she spoke before she read the contract paper. Her eyes widened as she saw Erik's pseudonym on the contract. She then half laughed as she handed it back to him. "It seems our boss has triple stacked his leading act for his concert hall," she said a bit sarcastically. "By the way Madam, can you tell me who this Mr. Y is?"

I mean besides someone who spends a lot of money on light entertainment," Raoul asked with a half chuckle. Madam Giry smirked at Raoul, now understanding why Erik didn't like the man very much. "You haven't guessed, my dear Vicomte?" Madam Giry asked with a knowing smirk. "I've no idea Madam," Raoul replied. "It's HIM, my dear Vicomte," Madam Giry replied receiving a complete shocked face from Raoul.

"Are you here to visit?" Meg asked Christine with a happy smile thinking that her old friend came here to see her. Marius had looked uncomfortable as he knew the real truth about Christine being here on Coney Island. Christine shook her head at that. "No, I'm here to sing for the show," Christine said. "To sing?" Meg asked shocked by this bit of news. Christine nodded her head to confirm what she told her old friend. "Yes, tomorrow night," she said. "Tomorrow night?" Meg asked shocked.

"There must be some sort of misunderstanding or mistake, the main acts are booked for someone's birthday," Meg said explaining to Christine her shock. "If you mean of Gustave then it was his wish that I come here and sing," Christine said with a bit of a smile. Meg completely shocked sat down on a chair that Marius had managed to pull up for her. "Gustave asked you to come here to sing?" she asked softly. Christine knelt before her friend feeling a bit worried.

"This was to be my lucky break," Meg whispered again. Christine took Meg's hands in an effort to cheer her up. "Meg don't be so upset, I am only going to sing a small aria, it's hardly a big moment," Christine said with a comforting smile. "She's right Meg," Marius agreed gently touching her shoulders in a comforting manner. "I know you are still going to get that big break," he added with confidence. Meg looked up at him with a hopeful look on her face. "Do you really think so Marius?" she asked softly. "I know so," Marius answered with a sweet smile.

"HIM?!" Raoul asked a bit outraged by this bit of news that the monster that caused him and his wife a lot of grief, horror, and pain. "You work for that bastard?!" he growled in anger. "That monster?!" he added.

Madam Giry smirked at him "Now you and Christine do as well!" she said with a laughing smirk. Raoul sharply turned to see Christine talking with Marius, Meg, and that gypsy harlot Kat, who had just come out of nowhere. "My wife will be appalled! She thought him dead! That monster lured us under a false pretense!" he softly whispered with a mixture of shock, horror, and rage. "How dare he use my wife's sister as a trick to get us to come here!" he added.

"What do you mean? Christine has no sister," Madam asked suddenly puzzled by this bit of information. Raoul looked at Madam Giry a bit calm but still tense with his rage. "You wouldn't know about it," he said before he began to explain. "She had a sister that disappeared years ago right before her father worked at the opera house," he said before he looked back at Christine. "We never found her or received word of her whereabouts until we received a letter that we thought was from his sister," he added before his rage boiled up inside him. "But that letter was from him," Raoul growled. "He will pay for this! When I get my hands on him I'll-!"

"Unless she knows it's him," Madam Giry said softly gently grasping Raoul's arm. Raoul then felt his rage increase as the thought that his wife might've come here to meet with whom he believed to be dead. He then started to walk to his 'darling' wife.

Madam Giry could only watch as she saw the drama unfold before her. _'Why would he use the small chance that Christine's sister was here?'_ she thought to herself. _'Surely he wouldn't do such a thing to hurt his poor Christine,'_ she added before she felt someone behind her. She turned to see one of her old co-workers at the Paris opera house, Gunner. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly as he took her hand and kissed it politely.

"I almost didn't recognized you without your hair being so different," she added with a smile. Gunner looked up at her with what others would call a 'devil's charming smile'. "Do forgive the sudden arrival Madam Giry, but I couldn't resist paying an old co-worker's daughter is a big star!" he said with a charming smile.

Madam Giry shook her head in a polite manner. "No, my dear friend," she said politely with a nice smile. "I am honored that you would come this way out of your valuable time," she added. Gunner again smiled, before he glanced to see Meg with Christine and to his greatest surprise, Kathleen. "I do hope that your boss knows that he is lucky to have you and your talented daughter working for him," he said softly with a hint of worry and pride in his tone. Madam Giry was almost going to not worry of it but then remembered that Erik's Christine was here. She then quickly glanced to see Raoul walking away from the girls. "Gunner do you mind if I take a rain check of our catching up?" she asked not noticing Gunner looking in Raoul's direction.

"Not at all Madam Giry," he replied. "In fact I think I will take a little outing here on Coney," he said before he stepped away. "But I will be here tomorrow night to see your daughter's performance," he said before he gave a half bow to Madam Giry, wishing her a good day before he left the concert hall, being careful to not be seen by Kathleen or her gypsy friend.

Kathleen felt sorry for her sister as she saw Raoul come towards them after talking to Madam Giry. No doubt the former ballet mistress told the drunken fool of a Vicomte that Erik was the boss here on Coney Island. Which the Vicomte proved her right as he grabbed Christine's arm looking at her with anger in his eyes. "Tell me, who is the composer of the song you are going to sing?" he asked in a restrained growl.

Kat saw Christine's face go pale and fought the urge to separate the two apart. But soon Raoul let Christine go. "I'll deal with you later, WIFE," he said softly before he greeted Meg in a charming matter. Kat gently rested her hand on Christine's shoulder comfortingly. Christine gave Kat a sweet smile as Marius offered Meg and Raoul a drink of water.

Raoul politely refused the cup of water. "So sorry sir, but I am in the mood for something a little stronger," he said with a half smirk. Raoul then looked at the girls before he spoke to them. "If you excuse me ladies, I will meet you later tomorrow night, where you three shall surpass the rest of us," he said before he left them all shocked.

Kat quickly recovered and gently took Christine's hand. "Come Christine, let's not keep Meg from rehearsing," she said to her. "But," Christine started to say but Marius interrupted her.

"She is right to Miss Daaẽ, you can rehearse later," he said to her. "And besides, you should enjoy your first day with the birthday boy," he added with a charming wink. Kat smiled before she led Christine away. "Do you know where the boy is?" Christine asked. Kat smiled before she answered. "There is only one place he could be," Kat replied. "Where is he?" Christine asked. "He's with Erik," Kathleen replied as she lead Christine to Erik's tower.

**Author's note:** Here finally Gunner reappears in the story after being, no pun intended in my own story, in the shadows for so long.

I had recently watched the Australian production version of Love Never Dies, and I found myself a bit at a struggle on the Madam Giry character being an evil woman on the London production of the show and the Australian production being so nice. So I tried to now balance them. Don't get me wrong, Madam Giry is going to still be partly mean to our Erik. But there is a limit to how mean she can be. (Understanding that she thinks that the phantom is going to not pay her back for all the help she and her daughter did for him...understandable.)

But soon we will be getting to the part all of you readers have been waiting for!

Erik is going to find out he is Gustave's father!  
But what will this mean for Kathleen?  
Will Erik and Christine realize that Kat is Kathleen?  
And what is Gunner planning behind the scenes?


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Gustave always enjoyed the time he spent with Erik. When ever it was for music lessons, drawing pictures of anything that came to his mind or approving of Erik's next design for Coney Island, he was just glad to be able to spend time with Erik. Even though he couldn't call Erik 'father'.

Erik couldn't stop himself from smiling as the happy memory from last night kept popping up in his mind. The way Kat was so sweet and loving to him. How she reacted when she saw his face...That made him feel eternal bliss, like he was in heaven. But the only thing that kept ruining it was that he had felt that he had made love to Kat before.

As he started to think about the possibilities of when that could have happened, his thoughts were interrupted by Gustave playing a few notes on the piano. Although he knew the boy could play as he was the boy's tutor there was something different about the song he was playing. Different but familiar in a way, at least to him it was. 'I know of this music, but where?' he thought in his mind as he walked to the boy from his desk. He listened to the music again, thinking very carefully to each note the boy played before he realized what he was playing. The boy was playing Don Juan Triumphant! Or at least the section where he had sung with Christine. 'How could he know of this bit of music?' Erik thought before he gently touched the boy's shoulders.

"Gustave, where did you hear this music?" he asked the boy. Gustave shrugged his shoulders in response. "My mother," he answered softly. "She used to play this song when I was still a baby in her tummy according to uncle Marius and Grandpa," he added with a happy smile. Erik felt a spark go through him as the boy said that. Why would she play a piece of his music when she was carrying Gustave?

"Did they ever said why she would play this song?" Erik asked the young boy. Gustave smiled proudly before he answered. "They told me my father composed and sung this song," Gustave replied, not seeing the shocked look on Erik's face.

Erik took a few steps away from Gustave looking at the boy with shock and amazement. 'He is only...ten years old,' he thought in his mind, finding what the boy had just said almost impossible to believe. But Erik then remember that there was only one time the boy would've been conceived...the very night he made love to a mystery woman beneath a moonless sky... Erik then walked to Gustave, resting a hand on the boy's shoulders.

"Gustave," he said softly to the boy. Gustave stopped playing the piano before looking up at Erik. "Yes, Erik?" he asked. "Come with me, I would like to show you something," Erik said before taking the boy's hand. "Why? Where are we going?" Gustave asked curiously. Erik smiled at the boy before leading him to the section of Erik's domain, where some of Erik's private inventions and creations were. "I want to know what you think," Erik replied before he started to show the boy parts of Erik's private world. Bringing some of his own secret dreams out and free. And soon reveal his face that he hid from the world out to his own flesh and blood...unaware that they were being watched.

Kathleen had lead Christine to Erik's domain, feeling a bit excited as she planned on having her son finally spend some time with his Aunt. "Mademoiselle Kat?" Christine asked. Kat stopped just before the stairway to Erik's office. "Yes?" she replied looking at Christine. Christine had a slight pale color to her face before she looked at Kat with a slight half smile. "I was wondering about something," Christine started to say. Kat felt her heart beat heavily as she waited for the question to come. Christine took a deep breath before she spoke.

"May I ask, what are your feelings towards Erik?" she asked. Kat's cheeks, partly visible on the lower area of her mask didn't cover, became pink with blush. "My feelings for Erik?" Kat asked with a slight shaky and surprised voice before she turned partly away trying to hide her blush.

'Looks like she does does have feelings for him,' Christine thought as she saw Kat turn away. 'I wonder if she knows about his past before he came here?' she asked herself. "You love him don't you?" she asked Kat with a knowing half smile. Kat turned to look at her. "Am I that obvious?" Kat said softly in an almost whisper. Christine smiled at her.

"From my past with love, I know what it looks like," Christine replied. "You mean from the history with you, him and your husband?" Kat guessed. Christine looked downward before she looked back up at Kat. "Yes," she said to Kat. "I may not love Erik the same way you do, but I care for him enough to want to see him to be truly loved," she said explaining why she was asking Kat of her feelings for Erik. Kat smiled in understanding.

"I am glad you don't hate him as other would be lead to believe," she said. "He only frightened and scared me," Christine said. "He never did anything that could make me despise or hate him," she added. "And he was my teacher, it is hard for me to hate him when I know that there is goodness in him, unlike my husband who thinks otherwise," Christine added before she half giggled. "Your sister would wonder why you married him in the first place," Kat said with a bit of curiosity in her tone as well as a hint of what Christine believed to be anger. Considering what her husband had said about Kat and the others here on Coney Island it didn't surprise her that Kat would sound like that. Christine then remembered that Kat mentioned her sister. "About her my sister," Christine started to ask. "Is she really here?" Christine finally asked, wanting to know the truth about her sister.

Kat felt her heart started to pound as she answered, "Yes." Christine felt joy and relief go through her as she heard Kat's answer. "When can I see her? Is she all right?

Does she still remember me?" Christine asked Kat, letting her excitement get the better of her. Kat was about to answer when she heard Erik and Gustave's voices. She heard them singing!

Kat felt joy and happiness as the two most precious men she loved were singing together. "He is his father's son," Kat softly whispered. Christine looked at Kat with a confused look on her face as she watch Kat go up the stairs to where the voices were coming from. As they were about to enter the room when suddenly there came a terrifying scream. "Gustave!" Kat cried in a bit of fear, worrying something had happened to her child as she ran into the room. Christine followed after her and was surprised to see Flick, Dr. Gangel and Mr. Squelch standing there in the room. 'They must be secret bodyguards,' she thought before she saw Gustave run to his mother. "It's all right my darling!" Kat said to her as he hugged her legs as a scared child would.

"It was horrible mama!" Gustave said in a scared voice. "His face...It was...!" he added before Kat interrupted him. "Erik showed you his face?" she asked her son with a surprised tone. Gustave nodded his head.

Kat was surprised, shocked and now worried for Erik. Gustave's reaction to seeing Erik's face must have nearly broke his heart. Kat knelt before the boy gently cupping his frightened face.

"Listen Gustave, I want you to go with Miss Flick and Dr. Gangel back to our house okay?" she said to the boy who still looked frightened. "But why?" Gustave asked. "Mama needs to talk to Erik about something important," Kat said before she looked at Flick and Gangel, who nodded their heads in understanding. Gustave went with them wanting to leave this place as quick as possible. Christine felt a bit worry knowing Erik's reaction when she revealed his face to the world. "Kat," she started to say but Kat had already walked tot he room where no doubt Erik was. "Do not worry Miss Daae," Squelch said comfortingly. "If there is one thing I know about the master, it's that he would never harm Kat," he added with a comforting smile.

Christine looked up at the man with a hopeful expression on her face. "You really think so?" she asked. "I know so," Squelch replied with a confident smile on his face.

Kat walked in the room where she knew Erik must have taken Gustave. "Erik?" she called out as she looked around for him. Soon she found him leaning against a glass pyramid that was in the center of the room. "I'm sorry about that..." she said as she got closer to him. But before she could say anything else Erik sharply turned around facing her with a serious expression on his face. "Did you think I wouldn't have guessed?" he said to her with a calm and cool voice that made Kat, for once, actually frightened. "Or did you think that I wouldn't have known?" he asked her as he stepped closer to her. Kat then knew he must have figured out who Gustave's father was.

"Erik, please," she started to say but Erik soon grabbed her upper arms and started to shake her. Gently at first but got more rough as he started to speak. "Do you have some confession you wish to say to me? A secret you want to reveal?" he said as he shook her. "Erik," Kat tried to say but Erik stopped her once again.

"Tell me the truth!" he said to her in what sounded to her was a mixture of a cry or a choked sob. Kat then looked into his eyes and saw it was best to tell him the truth... The truth about them being Gustave's parents.

She took a small breath as she closed her eyes after he stopped shaking her. "Do you remember that night ten years ago? The night beneath a moonless sky after a rain storm had passed over?" she asked him before she opened her looking directly into his eyes. Erik looked at her partly surprised at her questions. "Yes," he replied. "Do you remember a girl coming to you where you hid from the world that had thought you dead?" Kat asked him knowing the words she was going to say next might break her chance on being with him. Erik nodded his head in reply. "That girl that night was me," Kat said with a partly shaken voice. Erik's eyes widened in surprise as the memory of that night came flooding back in his mind. His grip on her arms loosened as he stared at her.

Kat stood still trying her best to not tremble. "And after what we did...you left me while I was asleep," she said before she took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was going to tell him next. "But that's not all you did," Kat said before she rested her hands on her chest. "You left me...with your son," she added in a soft whisper. Erik felt his heart freeze up at Kat's words.

"Gustave is..." he softly whispered as he staggered back from her. "He is your son," Kat finished, confirming what Erik had heard her say. She closed her eyes tightly as she fought back her tears that she was holding in. "I wanted to tell you so badly as soon as I found out, but you disappeared and I didn't want to risk you getting caught by HIM!" she said before she opened her eyes seeing Erik looking to the side still in shock. Kat then let the tears come now, knowing she possibly lost her chance to be with him for good. "I never kept your identity from Gustave, I wanted my son to know his father and why I loved him," she said softly not knowing if he heard her or not. Kat's legs began to tremble as she felt half of the weight of the truth weigh her down. "Forgive me," she said in a soft sob as she softly cried.

Erik had been looking straight at Kat as he heard her say that she loved him. He could see how much telling him this was a heavy weight on her shoulders. The years he spent with her and Gustave made him realize that Kat had kept Gustave safe from his enemies. Not only Gustave, but him as well. She made sure that he was happy, even if it would cost her own happiness.

"Forgive me, I didn't want to cause you such pain," he heard her say as she started to cover her masked face. Erik couldn't help but smile as he then walked to her and pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. "I should be the one asking forgiveness," he said softly to her. "Leaving you like I did and not being there with you and our son," he added before he looked up at him with the look of surprise on her masked face. "You're...You're not angry with me?" she softly whispered. Erik smiled down at her. 'She never ceases to surprise me,' he thought before he gently cupped her face in his hands.

"How can I be angry at you for telling me the truth?" he asked her with a smile. "True, I am shocked at finding out I am a father but that doesn't mean I should be angry at you," he added before he moved Kat's left hand to touch the left side of his face that was deformed. "You are the only person, let alone the only woman that has showed me what it is like to be truly loved," he said before he kissed the palm of her hand.

Kat looked in complete shock as she heard Erik. "Which is why I am going to do right for you and our son," he suddenly said as he held her hand. "What do you mean?" she asked him. Erik looked at her with a smile on his face. "I am going to give our son everything, Coney Island, my inventions, everything that I created on this Earth will all be given to him," he replied with a giant smile on his face.

"All that I am, shall his!" he added before he suddenly picked Kat up and spun her around as he laughed happily. Kat was so shocked and stunned by his words that she was completely surprised when she started spinning her around as he held her. "Erik!" she cried as she started to laugh. Soon though Erik put her down and before she could say or do anything, he kissed her.

When he broke the kiss and embraced her, she found herself happy and overjoyed by the turn of events. "And what of Christine?" she asked him. Erik broke the hug and looked down at her. "Of course we will help her and her sister, I want to make up for my past mistakes and crimes," he said with a smile but his eyes looked sad to her.

"How can you do that?" Kat asked him, wondering how he was going to get her twin sister to leave her so called husband. Erik smiled at her again. "I'm already doing it, I just need to have a little chat with the drunk," he replied before he gently held her hand. "But I will need some help on getting his attention," he added before he gently caressed her cheek. "I know I am a cruel man for asked this, but would you help me?" he asked.

Kat smiled at him. "Erik, have I ever once turned you down?" she replied with a loving smile. "And besides, I would like to say a few things to that man," Kat added with a smirk.

Erik started to laugh as he slips his mask back on. "My dear, you still continue to surprise me," he said as he fixed the mask into place. 'Just wait till you find out who I am,' Kat thought before she cupped his face. "About the other mystery of me," she started to say but was interrupted by Marius coming in. "If I may interrupt, I've been informed that the Vicomte is at the suicide hall," he said with a pant in his breathing, like he had ran all the way here. Kat had a surge to hit Marius but thought better of it. 'I will tell him after the concert,' she thought to herself. Erik looked at Marius with a knowing brow.

"How long has he been there?" Erik asked. "He has been there for the last two hours sir, and will possibly stay there even when the concert happens," Marius replied. Erik smirked at this bit of news.

"Well, let's wait for the Vicomte till tomorrow morning," Erik said with a knowing smirk. "Give him time to think of his sorrows before I have the little chat with him," he added before he looked at Kat who was looking at him with a surprised look on her face. "I want to give this poor man one last chance to change his drunken ways, before I make my move," he explained to her before he started to walk out with her and Marius. "How kind of you Erik," she said finding herself surprised with Erik being kind to his former love rival over Christine. Erik smirked at her.

"I can be kind to those that are kind to me in return, it's just that I keep running into too many people that are either cruel to me or stab me in the back with betrayal," he replied with a knowing and humorous smile.

As they walked out of Erik's invention room Madam Giry slipped out of the secret passage that came out of the center crystal piece. " 'All I am, shall be his' ?" she said softly, repeating what Erik said before to Kat. "Nearly ten whole years and he tosses us aside like we were nothing?" she asked herself. "Ten years and this is how we are repaid? Ten long years of hard work, pain and tears and we are cast aside, reviled and rejected?" she said with a surge of anger going through her. "We, who sacrificed everything and gave all our hearts, souls and bodies and he gives everything we worked for to that child?!" she said in a shout of anger, her voice starting to shake. She couldn't believe it! All of all the hard work that she and Meg did will go to that dancing harlot's son! Their son!

"All of the bonds now broken and torn!" she hissed in anger. "All of it would've been ours! We would've gotten everything if that bastard had never been born!" she shouted in pain as she raised her hands up in fists, slightly shaking in anger before she fell to her knees. Softly crying as she looked around the room, gazing at Erik's inventions. All of these inventions, all of this genius, never to be hers or her daughters'.

Gunner had been right in warning her. Now she wondered how the man knew about this and what was he doing here on Coney Island?

**Author's note:**

Finally! The moment you have been waiting for! Erik finds out he is a daddy!

Sorry I took so long on this one my readers! I had been going to my dentist and now going to a doctor to see if I might have thyroid cancer or not. and things in my job program have been coming up but mostly filling out job applicants. (even though most of them are online... )

Back to the chapter! I had a hard time figuring out a way for Erik to start guessing he is Gustave's dad that wasn't a complete copy of what happened in the London or Australian production of Love never dies. Hopefully this will do, and I have been a big fan of the Phantomreviewer on youtube, and remembered to be sure to keep our Erik in his phantomness character we know him to be. (which btw, he has reviewed almost EVERY phantom movie/tv/musical/book/game/cartoon that there possibly is or anything that has a phantom feel to it. Really should check him out if you are a phantom fan like me!)

So hopefully I got the phantom in his character in this chapter!

I already am starting on the next chapter as we speak, and I am going to have one of our favorite moments in LND... DEVIL TAKE THE HINDMOST!

And don't forget...Gunner is around...will he cause trouble? OR something far worse?

Keep tuning in to find out!

Chapter 18 coming soon!


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